The Third Scott Brother
by OTH89
Summary: What if everyone discovers that Dan Scott had fathered not two, but three son? How would Nathan Lucas take it? And what would happen to Tree Hill's endless drama? Read the adventures of our favourite gang in high school with the new Scott Brother!
1. Prologue

THE THIRD SCOTT BROTHER

SUMMARY

Hi guys! This is my first attempt at a fanfiction (please be merciful), but, after reading many wonderful stories here, I decided to give it a try, using and idea I had in my mind for some time.

The story starts at the end of Season One (1x22 _The Games That Play Us_), and everything that happened before that is all canon (Naley are going to get married the night of the playoffs; the love triangle between Lucas, Brooke and Peyton happened as well, and Lucas is planning to move to Charlestone along with Keith; Jake escaped with Jenny from Nikki; Dan is going to have an heart attack, etc. etc.). But Tree Hill is going to be turned upside down when in the town makes his appearance Michael William Scott, i.e. Dan Scott's son!

I plan to follow the original show in regards to the general plot (of course, I'll change or add some situations in order to develop Mike's character), though there's the chance I'll make some big change later on.

Most of the chapters will be based on an episode of the show, but in some cases they will not coincide (there will be times when a chapter will gather two episodes, and times when it will focus on a small part of it), and there will be filler chapters.

There will be differents POV during the story, with a prevalence of Michael's one, but i plan to include the main characters many times, too.

As for the pairings, with the premise that my version of Season Two will follow the show (regarding the pairings), I'll only say that Naley will come around pretty much in the same way of the show; for what concerns Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Michael (but also Jake, Rachel and Mouth), I've planned almost everything, but you'll found about it in due time ;)

Lastly, I wanted to warn you all that i'm not a native English speaker: I've tried, and I'll always try my best to post chapters both grammatically and syntactically correct, but if you found some errors, feel free to point them, and I'll get rid of them as soon as possible.

That said, I hope you all will have as much as fun reading it as much as i had writing it ;)

PROLOGUE

_Note: I don't own One Tree Hill, only Michael.  
_

It was a sad day for the Tree Hill community: that night, the pride of the town, the Tree Hill High School's basketball team, the Ravens, after having achieved the regular season undefeated, had just lost the first round of the playoffs and once again said goodbye to the dream of winning the State Championships.

One of the few places where the game's outcome didn't affect much the mood was the town's hospital: between patients worried for their health and the medical staff busy to plan medical tests and surgeries, there was no time to worry about basketball-at least, normally: at that time, in fact, one of the patients was particulary interested in the Ravens' game…

The reception room was deadly silent when a young boy appeared: he was tall and athletic, with olive skin, brown straight hair that covered half of his neck, and green eyes; he was wearing dark grey cargo pants and a black t-shirt, a pair of sneakers at his feet. He smiled gently at the old nurse at the desk, and asked where the room of Coach Whitey Durham was.

* * *

Whitey sighed as he shifted uncomfortably on the bed and turned off the radio, the sport broadcast about the game fished; he was having mixed feeling about the loss of his team: on one hand, he was disappointed for having being kicked out from the Championships already, but on the other was rather relieved that his team wasn't going to be coached by Dan Scott anymore. The old coach couldn't help but chuckle at Dan's misfortune: the plan to lead the squad in his place failed at the first game, and he also had to witness the bonding between Nathan and Lucas, even though a thing like two brothers finally getting along could be bad and depressing only for someone like Dan Scott…but what could you expect from a man who had ruthlessly acquired his own brother's business? Whitey's face darkened as he thought of Keith and his imminent departure for Charlestone along with Lucas: it pained him to see his closest friend going away and the reason behind it(he knew that it was more related to Keith's relation with Karen than his issues with Dan and the takeover of his workshop), though he couldn't even imagine how saddened Karen was: her son's decision must've broken her heart; Whitey wondered about Lucas, hoping the boy would find the strength he would need if the predictions about his shoulder were going to be proven correct.

The old man sighed, and was starting to worry about the risks of the eye intervention he was scheduled for the next day, when he heard a knock on the door, followed by a male voice.

"Is it a good moment, coach Durham?"

Whitey turned his head to the door and gasped when he saw a ghost, a figure of the past standing at the entrance of his room.

For a pair of seconds, Whitey actually thought that his eyesight was ruined even more than what the doctors said: it could be the only explanation for what was standing in front of his eyes; the old man blinked, and when he opened his eyes again the illusion was gone, and a young boy was staring at him, waiting for his answer.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here, son? I'm sorry, but I don't recall having ever met you" he asked

"Well, that's because we've never met coach" the boy said smirking as he walked towards her "however, I've been told a lot about you by my mother: my name is Michael...Bayle" he finished.

The mention of the Bayle surname made the old coach's eyes open wide in both surprise and delight, a flashback from 18 years ago popping in his mind.

_Whitey was in Charlotte for an away game of the Ravens, they had just won a hard-fought match against the local team, thanks to a three-point shot from Dan Scott two seconds before the end of the match, much to the cocky star's amusement (he was meant to don't take part in the game because he joined the team 5 minutes prior the start of the game, but Whitey had to put him back in the squad, being 15 point below after the first half of the match); he was heading to the locker room when a girl with black curly hair and green eyes behind rectangular glasses, approached him "Why the hell did you left a powerhouse like Dan Scott on the bench during the first part of the game, coach? It was a plan, or you were trying to end your undefeated streak?" she asked, much to the coach's annoyance: great, now the brat was having adoring girls even from the opposing schools!_

"_I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong; I'm not a fan of Dan Scott…well I am, but that doesn't have any importance in the matter" the girl grinned "I'm the sport reporter for our school's journal, my name is…. _"You're Martha's son! I haven't seen her for almost…"

"Sixteen years" the boy completed, grinning, although a sad light shined once in his eyes, but Whitey didn't notice it.

* * *

"So, you two have lived in New York until six month ago, and now you're back in Charlotte…I see…" Whitey said, scratching his chin "It seems that next year I'll found out how much of a good player you are, son" he joked: the boy told him that he had played in his previous school's basketball squad; it didn't surprise him much, knowing his mom's love for the game.

"Actually, I'm going to try to be a Raven player next year, coach" countered Mik, his face suddenly tense, and Whitey realized that he was hiding something.

"Wait…Is Martha moving to Tree Hill?"

"No…I'm the only one who's moving here"

"Really? Does Martha agree with this?"

"She's…dead" Michael clenched his jaw as he tried to keep a neutral face.

Whitey closed his eyes for a moment, and sighed, his voice trembling with sadness.

"When?"

"Two months ago, cancer…she decided to come back to Charlotte so that my grandparents could take care of me when the…time would come"

"But now, you want to move to another town? What about the money?"

"My grandpa already paid for the school's tuition: I'll start next week; as for the rest, I can take part-times jobs and find an apartment to rent"

"I don't understand…you seem to going along well with your mom's parents"

"Yes, they're great"

"I may have not the right to ask you this, son…but then why do you want to move here, with no family?"

"I do have kind of a family here, coach"

"You do?"

"Yes, though I only found about it recently, but…my biological dad lives here…and I should have an uncle and two brothers, as well"

Whitey felt his heart skip a beat or two, his brain connecting the dots…the first time he met Martha…the illusion of the boy from the past he saw when he stared at Mike for the first time… the fact that the boy was a basketball player…his father living in Tree Hill…

"_I'm not a fan of Dan Scott…well I am, but that doesn't have any importance in the matter" the girl grinned…_

It was impossible, but…

"You're guessing right coach.. when I introduced myself, I used my mom's maiden name, but my full name is Michael William Scott: my father is Dan Scott.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So, I'm back with the first chapter of the fic but, before to that, got something to say here**

**To Sweetlilloz: Thank you, I'll always remember you as my first reviewer :D And by the way, I agree with you about the beta reader.**

**So here I am: if anyone around here (english speaking) is interested in this story, and would like to work with me on it as a beta reader, feel free to contact me ;)**

**To alex 1332: Thanks! I'll do my best to keep a pace of at least a chapter every week**

**To dianehermans, about the Brucas/Leyton stuff: I have planned how the story will go on but, I can't tell about it right now because I think it may ruin the story's quality; what I can say is that there will be both Brucas and Leyton moments, but, regardless of the couple that will stand at the end, I'll try my best to make a story that both pairings' fans will appreciate; and, I don't plan of making Brooke or Peyton bashing: i love the both of them, though my favourite is Haley :P**

**That said, i hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**

**THE THIRD SCOTT BROTHER  
**

**CHAPTER ONE: OVERWHELMING NEWS  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill, only Michael William Scott  
**

The next morning, Michael was walking around the streets of Tree hill, the town where his father lived, the town that was going to be his new home, at least until the end of the school year; he had barely slept the previous night, so he decided to pick up a grey hoodie and matching tracksuit pants, and go jogging, hoping to clear his head; however, he was still thinking about his talk with Whitey Durham.

_The coach was staring at him, stunned; his reaction didn't surprise Michael , though Dan Scott wasn't new to the illegitimate children department._

"_Y…you are…Dan's son" the coach repeated, and it seemed to take the news well, considering the circumstances "Have you always known, or have you discovered it recently?" he asked._

"_I found out about it just 2 months ago, after my mom's funeral" Michael answered, remembering his grandfather's words, the shock, the questions, the days passed laying on a bed, trying to accept the truth…until he decided to move to Tree Hill._

"_So…" the old man spoke again, and Michael snapped from his reverie "You say you have two brothers…h…how did you…?"_

"_Find out? Well, to be honest, I wasn't sure of what I was going to run into when I decided to move here; but earlier, while I was watching the playoff game, I noticed two players named Scott, so I made some questions to a pair of students near me: it was then that I discovered the amazing story of Dan Scott when he was 18" Michael wasn't even trying to hold the sarcasm; he didn't expect much from the man that fathered him to begin with but, come on: three pregnant women in the arc of few months? That was a royal screw up!_

"_Wait…the game? Were you there? Then you saw…"_

"_Yes, I saw Nathan and Lucas" Michael nodded, and an amused smile come up to his lips "They are two hell of a players…I can tell that they're far better than anybody I've played with…excluding myself" he smirked, and even Whitey chuckled for a moment "I'm looking forward to meeting both of them"_

"_About that" Whitey stopped him frowning "I have something to tell you regarding Lucas…"_

The brown-haired boy groaned as he recalled that Lucas had moved to Charleston… _so much for my plan to rip the band-aid as soon as possible…but there's no point to brood over something I can't change_ he reminded himself, and stopped running: it was time for a small break; while trying to regain his breath, he noticed that he was standing before a nice-looking co

Michael's eyes rose to the sign, and his face paled when he read it: Karen's Cafe…right! That the café owned by Lucas' mother! Curious, he looked through the windows, and saw a woman that was most likely Karen: in her mid-thirties, she had medium long black hair, and blue-green eyes that were currently staring at him, wide opened; it reminded him of Whitey's first stare, the previous day…was she mistaking him for a young Dan too? Was he really that similar to his…father?

Michael then remembered that he was wearing the hood up on his head, so there was no way for Karen to see his face clearly…_ Then why is she staring at me like th…wait, sh_e _stopped… _

He let out a sigh, relieved, turned around and started jogging again; _No family's talks for today…I'll relax_, _maybe go to the beach_ _and, tomorrow, I'll look for Nathan…after all, I have plenty of time…_

He nodded, and jogged back to the inn where he had rented a room, unaware that, in those same moments, the father he had yet to meet was fighting for his life.

*********The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******  
**

"I'm not complaining about you checking upon me, Karen" Whitey said, looking at the woman in front of him seriously "But, I have to remind you that Lucas didn't leave to make you feel lonely…he'd want you to start something new in your life, as well"

Karen smiled kindly at his old coach "Actually…I was thinking of joining the college…taking some cooking lesson, attending some lessons…"

"I'm glad to hear it…and…I have something to tell about you…something about…Dan…"

"What happened?"

"Well…there isn't an easy way to say it…"

"Then let's get over it, coach; it's not that I'm going to surprised by any of Dan Scott's rubbish anymore"

"He has…another son…"

"WHAT?"

"I thought you said you would not get surprised"

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"_Why do we have to move back again, mom? I love New York" asked a ten year old Michael while he was helping his mother to pack their things up; Martha sighed, and looked at her son._

"_I know you do, Mike, but I'm still a freelance reporter: I don't have the luxury to choose from so many jobs, so when I found one well paid, I have to go…but remember: as soon as I'll became a kick-ass report.."_

"_You are already a kick-ass one, mom"_

"_Thanks, little man" Martha ruffled Michael's hair before continuing "Well, when I'll became a famous one, we'll stay wherever you want, that's a promise…"_

Michael gasped when he woke up suddenly, the dream still vivid in his mind, the sound of the waves filling his ears: after the jog, he opted to spend the day at the beach, and must have fallen asleep while lying on the sand.

Scratching the back of his head, the boy grinned, as other moments of his childhood popped in his mind; they had never settled down: his mother was too much of a free spirit, she couldn't stay in the same place for long (though they always considered NY their home), and soon he started enjoying that kind of life as well.

"_We're going to reach the top of the world one day, Mike, trust me"_

"_You were the top, mom…you were the top of my world"_

Michael stood up and, without taking his clothes off, rushed to the sea, diving deep into it; after a minute, the resurfaced, gasping for air, and no one could no longer tell why is cheeks were wet.

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At Karen's Café, Karen and Deb were staring at each other, an awkward silence between them; after leaving Whitey, still taken aback, Karen had run into Deb, who told her that Dan, the same man she was thinking about (for one of the first times in years) was in the hospital too, due to an heart attack.

At the café, Deb revealed another shocking news: Nathan and Haley were married! The raven-haired woman felt dizzy for a moment, due to the weight of all the drama that was about to burst at Tree Hill; taking a deep breath, she decided to tell Deb about Michael; the blonde's eyes widened, shocked, but she still had not said a single word.

"That's typical of Dan" she finally spoke, and Karen rose her eyes "Even when his life is in danger, makes me want to kill him" sighing, she asked "Does Whitey know what is the boy-what was his name-doing here?"

"It's Michael and, according to Whitey, he didn't come here for money; apparently, his grandparents are paying for school expenses, and he did mention that he was looking for a job"

"But, what if Whitey is wrong? After all, nobody knows him, and, not that I think about it, how can we be sure that he isn't lying? We didn't even meet him…we should think of a DNA test"

Karen chuckled "I kind of talk to Whitey about that, and he started muttering something about "bloody, useless medical rubbish"… for him, the boy looks a lot like Dan…"she pondered if she should said about something that was wondering about for a while "I…think I saw him, too"

"You did? When?"

"This morning, outside the café…for a moment, I mistook him for Lucas…I couldn't see him well, but…he reminded me a bit of Dan when he was young…"

The two women stayed silent for a while again, then Deb spoke again, a slight tension in her voice "Did you call Keith? I mean, he should know about it…as well as Lucas"

"About that, Whitey told me that Michael asked him to don't tell anything to Lucas and Nathan…he wants to meet them, without third parties' interference…so please, don't talk to Nathan about that…"

"Hmm, it's not that I'll likely talk to my son soon….but what about Keith?"

"Whitey is dealing with it"

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"Hello?"

"How's Charleston? I guess it must be amazing to make you forget about your old friend in an hospital, after less than a day you're here"

"As if I could forget your irritating voice so soon, old man" Keith smirked, than he got serious "Is if about Dan, I already know of his heart attack; we're deciding if we sh.."

"Dan had an heart attack?" asked Whitey, shocked.

"Didn't you call me for that?"

"Actually, I have another thing to tell you, but you can't tell Lucas about it"

"What the hell is happening in Tree Hill, all of a sudden?"

"Keith, I'm serious…"

"Fine, I won't say anything to him; though I doubt there's something that could make this day worse"

"What if I tell you that you have a third nephew, the same age of the other two?"

"I'd say that I hope he is not like old Nathan...wait… WHAT?"

"Karen had the same kind of reaction"

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_Damn it, I fell asleep again…well, it's not surprising, since I don't even remember the last time that I slept peacefully_ Michael rubbed his eyes wearily, and realized what had woken him: someone was talking to him…it was a girl's voice…

"Uhm….what?"

"I said, are you ok? "

"Yes, thank you, I'm…"Michael stopped when he saw one of the most beautiful girls he had ever met, staring at him, concern in her green eyes; her blond hair were long and curly, her skin pale, and she was wearing a long sleeved black t-shirt, and a grey mini skirt. _You may have just found a good enough reason to stay here, buddy…wait, I was saying something, right?_

"..fine" he completed "It has just been…"

"A rough day?" she suggested.

"Something like that" _Though it would be more appropriate to say two hellish months, but whatever…_he smiled at the girl just a second before another girl started shouting.

"PEYTON ELIZABETH SAWYER! How dare you leave me alone to deal with the fire by mys…oh…I see" a brunette reached them, and flashed a wide smile at Michael, cute dimples visible on her cheeks "I didn't know you were looking for hot guys…it seems I've finally rubbed you off!"

"Ah ah ah, very funny Brooke…I just happened walking on…"

"It's Michael, and, I'm just guessing, you" he said pointing at the blond girl " are Peyton, while you're Brooke"

"The one and only Brooke Davis" the brunette said proudly, all of her body ( _Her sexy body, Michael thought)_ was oozing confidence, her hazel eyes staring at him like she was challenging him, and all the world with him as well _Thing are getting pretty interesting…_

"As I was saying, I just walked on Michael, sleeping on the beach, and was making certain he was ok…"

"My, my, always so considerate, P. Sawyer…" Brooke smiled again while she observed Michael "I don't remember ever seeing you in Tree Hill before…are you new around here?"

"Just moved in, I'll start at Tree Hill High next week"

"Do you have some parents here?" Peyton asked.

_You could say that _"Hmmm…well, it's kind of a long story…besides" he grinned to both of them "A boy surrounded in mystery looks hotter, doesn't he?"

"Hmmm…in that case, we'll keep our secrets for ourselves, too" Brooke smirked "For example, we won't tell you that we're the two hottest girls in our sch…"

"Brooke!"

"What? You know it's true!"

Michael laughed, and stood up, rubbing his hands to get rid of the sand "Well, what about we start to know each other better while I offer you two something to drink?"

"We have…something to do…" Peyton said, and she and Brooke exchanged a quick look, the second holding something tightly.

"But you can come along with us…it won't take long…."

Five minutes later, Michael was watching a fire lighting in the darkness, burning the letters Brooke and Peyton have just thrown in; the two girls were holding each other's hand, and were talking; Michael managed to catch a "I hope it wasn't money…" from Brooke.

"Heart problems?" he asked, surprising both of girls; the first to answer was Brooke.

"How did you…"

"Well, it's not very subtle…"_And I have a certain experience in the broken heart department…_"So…are you two best friends?"

"Of course!" "Only when she's not a shopping-maniac" they said at the same time, and Brooke gasped at Peyton's words

"Oh Goldilocks, you're so in trouble right now!" she screamed, and jumped on her blond friend; soon the two were playing around the fire, laughing madly, while Michael stared at them amused.

All of a sudden, however, the two stopped, their eyes glued on something behind Michael; he turned around, and his heart stopped when he faced one of his brothers, Lucas Scott.

His hair were shaved, and he was staring intently at the two girls; something snapped in Michael _Don't tell me…_his eyes darted quickly back and forth Lucas, Brooke and Peyton _Oh, come on, you got to be kidding me!_

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Haley and Nathan were laying on the bed at Nathan's apartment, covered only by a blanket; she was resting her head on his husband's chest, recalling what happened a few moments ago.

_"How can you be sure, because there is no one who thinks that this marriage can work." Haley was in the midst of a mental breakdown; even if she had kind of expected that they would have found some opposition along the way, but even Karen and her dad weren't sure of their marriage._

_"I do, I promise you, Haley" Nathan answered her, his blue eyes brimming with love and confidence "I will always be there for you, I will always protect you, always."_

_Nathan wanted to speak more, but couldn't when his wife hugged him tightly, her lips crushing on his; he lifted her, and, while kissing, they moved to their bedroom…_

She sighed happily, a little smile on her lips: it didn't matter what or who they would have to face, they were going to make it, together.

A while later, they were dozing when Nathan's cellphone rang; Haley heard him groaning "It's Lucas" he said, and she felt her body tensing: she still had to talk to Lucas about their marriage properly (they didn't have the time when he found out).

"Hey, Luke" Nathan greeted "If it's about Dan…ok, I'm listening…" a dead silence fell in the room; Haley turned on the light and saw Nathan standing near her, frozen "What did you just say?"

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_Ten minutes before…_

There she was, staring at him…God, it was so painful watching her, knowing that she was no longer his, that he had lost her, maybe forever..._Why did he come back?_

That was the question Lucas Scott asked himself many times in the trip back to Tree Hill; at the end, both him and Keith had decided to come back, for Dan's conditions, but they were both aware that they weren't going back to Charleston anymore.

He shook his head, and shifted his attention back to Brooke and Peyton, then to the boy that was standing right before them…he felt a pang of jealousy _He's her…no, I have to stop thinking it _Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, and offered his hand to the stranger.

"Hi, I don't think we met before, I'm Lu…"

"Lucas Scott" the boy completed, much to the surprise of Lucas, but Peyton and Brooke as well.

"You know me?"

"I saw you only yesterday, at the game; before that, I've never heard of you…"

"Are you a basketball fan?"

"No" the boy laughed, but it was a laugh filled with tension "I'm a relative"

"I don't understand…"

"Maybe you will when I tell that my name is Michael Scott"

"Scott…?" Lucas's face paled while a sudden realization hit him "You mean…"

"I'm your brother."


	3. Chapter 2

**So, here I am with the second chapter of TTSB!  
**

**This chapter is settled at the start of Episode 2x02, "The Truth Doesn't Make a Noise", I hope you'll enjoy it!  
**

**P.S. I am currently thinking of a nickname for Michael from Brooke, since Lucas, Nathan, Haley and Peyton have at least one from her; if any of you want to make a suggestion, i'd like to hear them :D  
**

**P.P.S I'm still looking for a Beta Reader; contact me if you're interested.  
**

**THE THIRD SCOTT BROTHER**

**CHAPTER TWO: THE GAME IS ON**

Lucas was staring at the river, the court illuminated by a faint light, a smile on his face; although he still had doubts about his decision to come back to Tree Hill, he always felt better in the Rivercourt: that place was his home.

"You know, I'd have never expected that Charleston would get bored of you two so soon" said a voice behind him, and Lucas turned around to found his brother approaching him. _One of my brothers_ he reminded himself.

"Nathan" Lucas greeted, but both brothers didn't move further, a slight tension in the air between them: the last time they saw each other, Lucas had found out that Nathan and Haley got married, and they haven't talked since then, exception made for the brief call they had the previous night.

It was Nathan the first to break the silence "So, three questions time: are you ready?" he asked, and Lucas nodded "First…what happened to you hair?"

Lucas cracked a smile, followed by Nathan, before answering "Well…you know, I just wanted to made a cut with the past: new life, new haircut…"

"I see..." Nathan nodded, but was still smiling amused; however, his smile vanished, and was serious when he spoke again "Ok, before the second question, I want to say something: I know that the way you discovered that we married was kind of a shock, but…"

"Nate" Lucas stopped the dark-haired boy "Don't worry about it: sure, it did surprise me, but I'm truly happy for you and Haley, and I support you"

"So…are we still brothers?"

"Of course" Lucas smiled, and the two shook their hands and hugged briefly "However, you have to remember that you may be my brother, but Haley is my best friend: break her heart, and I'll break your legs" he warned, half-jokingly, half-seriously.

"Fair enough" Nathan admitted "Last question: is it a temporary return, or you are back to stay?"

Lucas' lips curved in a small smile "I think I'm going to stay here, little brother"

"Great!" Nathan grinned, and for a moment they forgot that there were other pressing matters they needed to talk about; they glanced at each other, both wondering which of the two problems they were going to discuss first; this time, it was Lucas who spoke first.

"Nathan…how is he?" he asked, and, despite the bitterness the blonde boy had always felt towards Dan, he couldn't hide an hint of concern in his voice.

"He is alive…I've heard that he woke up from coma last night"

"Haven't you met him?"

"No…that's not a conversation I'm looking forward to" Nathan said, grimacing.

"I take it that he doesn't know about the marriage yet?"

"Considering how my mom reacted? No chance in hell"

"Afraid of his reaction?"

"More scared about the fact that I have to bear anything he says without punching him, since he's not in the condition for a brawl" Nathan joked.

"Well you could always shut him up asking about his _third_ son" Lucas retorted, and a dead silence fell on them: it was time to talk about that.

"You said that you've met him yesterday, at the beach…what do you think of him?"

Lucas sighed "I don't know, Nathan...I was a bit confused at the moment…"

"What did he told you?"

Lucas ran a hand through his shaved hairs, and started telling Nathan what happened on the beach…

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_The __two boys were staring at each other, one tense, one shocked; near them, Brooke and Peyton were stealing nervous glances at both of them._

"_Uhm…I think it's getting late, right Brooke?"_

"_What? Oh yes, sure…time to go…w-well, bye guys…"_

_Lucas and Michael nodded towards the girls, but both of them remained silent until they were alone, the silence broken only by the noise of the waves._

"_You are…"_

"_Your brother, yes; though it would be more appropriated to say half-brother...but" Michael completed, an amused glint in his deep green eyes "I'd dare say that you have more experience than me in this matter"_

"_How is it pos.."_

"_Are you really asking me that, considering who *our father* is? I know little of Dan Scott, but it's enough for me to not be surprised about this…Look" he said, stopping Lucas from making other questions "I know that this is shocking, and that I have a lot of questions to answer to, but I'd prefer to have this conversation with Nathan, as well: it would be easier talking with both of you at the same time"_

"_I think you're right" Lucas nodded "How about tomorrow morning? It's Sunday, we'd have plenty of time to talk"_

"_Fine by me…where?"_

"_Do you know where the Rivercourt is?"_

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"So, is he coming here?"

"Yes…what do you think?"

"Honestly? If that had happened six months ago, I'd be bursting with rage and I'd be already planning to beat the new punk up, no doubts about it" Nathan stopped, and both he and Lucas laughed, recalling how much of a jackass Nathan was in the past "But now…I think we should give him a chance, and try to know him better"

"Who are you, and what have you done to Nathan Scott, the ruthless king of Tree Hill High?" asked Lucas in mock surprise.

"That guy doesn't exists anymore…I guess I should say thanks to Haley for it…well, you had a part in it too, Luke"

"You're welcome, little brother" Lucas said, smirking.

"I suppose I have to give my thanks to this Haley and to my new big brother as well, since I don't have to be 'beaten up' thanks to you" a voice behind them commented: it was Michael, who was carrying a basketball with him "Of course, assuming that you were really capable of beating me up" he finished.

"Sorry about that" muttered Nathan "I didn't mean to…"

"Don't sweat about it; I realized you were joking, and I have to thank you about what you said after" Michael looked at Nathan seriously "I'd be like to have a chance to know you guys better, too"

"Glad to hear that" Lucas cut in, then he pointed at the ball Michael was holding "I thought we were going to talk."

"That's still the plan" confirmed Michael "But awkward conversation and stuff like that aren't my cup of tea... so, how about we break the ice with a game, and then we talk?"

"You play?" asked Nathan.

Michael smirked "What I do on the court, brothers, can't be referred as mere "playing": it's more a work of art"

"Cocky, are we? You kind of remind me of Nathan" Lucas grinned "Which role you play?"

"Small forward" Michael answered, and made a shot from the three-point line, grinning while a swish anticipated the ball getting through the net; Nathan whistled, but Lucas shook his head.

"Damn, and here I was hoping that you could give Nathan a run for his money; I'm of the idea that we need a new star point guard for the next year"

"Funny, our shooting guard is a bit full of himself, methinks...maybe he has already forgotten the times he was throwing up, in the midst of training sessions"Nathan countered playfully.

"Ouch! No need to be so harsh, Nate" Lucas said, pretending to be hurt "Jokes aside, how should we do it?"

"What about a one-on-one, then the loser plays against the third one?" proposed Michael.

"Up to 15?" asked Nathan.

"Let's start the show!"

*************The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

"What are you doing, Brooke?"

"Nothing, P. Sawyer! Just checking my mails!" Brooke hurried to close Peyton's laptop; it wasn't a good idea to let her blond best friend find out that she had just been registered to a dating site: pissed off Peyton could be very violent.

"Are you ready? Haley should be here any minute by now"

"Relax, Goldilocks, I'm ready to welcome our recently married and pregnant friend."

"Brooke…we still don't know if she's pregnant or not" Peyton's voice was bored: they had discussed about it for hours.

"Come on, I'm on the Naley train, but why else would they got married, if she's not preg…ok, ok, got it" she said when she saw Peyton glaring at her "New topic: do you think she knows something about the new Scott brother in town?"

"Dunno about that, from what she told me, Nathan was going to meet him today with Lucas."

"Hmmm…I can't imagine how Tree Hill will react when it will become known that Nathan and Haley married, and that Dan Scott has a third son…that man may be a huge jerk, but he has a gift for making his sons hot…I wonder how he looked like when he was young…"

"BROOKE! Don't tell me you're thinking of _Dan Scott_ that way!"

"Aww, come on P. Sawyer, you know that your dad remains my favorite DILF"

"Damn, that was so not the answer I was expecting!" Peyton sighed relieved when the bell rang "It must be Haley, I'll go."

The blonde girl headed to the door, and thought about Nathan and Haley's marriage: she still remembered the Nathan of the past, back when they used to date, and she couldn't believe that _that _guy was now married…_Well, that's Haley James…Scott, for you_ she smiled as images of the shy, sweet girl ran in her mind; was she going to look or act differently, now that she was married?

"Hi!" she greeted when she opened the door, and there she was the same Haley as ever: a little nervous, she smiled at her kindly.

"Hi Peyton, how are…"

"Come in Tutor Wife, you have to tell us everything!" Brooke stormed in the hallway and grabbed Haley's arm, dragging her inside Peyton's house.

"So, it's a boy or a girl?"

*************The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

"Weren't you scheduled for a surgery tomorrow?" Keith asked surprised.

"Sure I was" confirmed Whitey, in the midst of packing his things up "But I decided to call it off; I don't need it"

"Whitey, you have a tumor…"

"Don't even start, Keith" the coach glared at him "you're a hundred years too young for lecturing me, and besides, don't you have to visit Dan?"

"That is…complicated"

"I know that Dan hasn't exactly been the best brother of the world, neither a good father, or a good husband, now that I think about it…but you're better than him; be the better man, Keith: go and see your brother"

"It's not what he did to me in the past the reason I'm not seeing him"

"Then what is it?"

"I've slept with Deb"

"Oh" Whitey stood there, unsure of what to say "In that case, I don't really know what you should do, but you have to remember that you're his brother: no matter what, this kind of bond can't be broken easily."

"Speaking of brothers: since you've met him, what do you think of…"

"Michael?" Whitey closed his eyes for a second "I don't know much of him, but he seems to be a decent guy"

"So he didn't take after the Scott genes, uh? I'd hate to have a second Nathan here, just now that the original has settled down"

"Oh, I don't know if that's a good thing, considering his mother" Whitey chuckled "She was a fierce, stubborn brat who would chase you to hell to make you answer her questions, and then she would nonetheless criticize every single mistake you made in the game…of course, according to her" he stopped, his eyes moist "It's a shame that she had to die so soon"

"Did you know her well?"

"I met her almost eighteen years ago, at Charlotte, during an away game; she was working for the school newspaper, and made some nasty comments about my decision to keep Dan on the bench for half of the game…since then, she came here to visit me many times, for two whole years…then, she told me that she was going to move in New York, and we stayed in touch for a while…the last time I've talked to her, was five years ago."

"Did she tell you…"

"That she had a kid? Yes, she even sent me a photo of him when he was one, or two years old…I guess she didn't send me more photos because she feared that I would recognize him…"

"How that happened?"

"I don't know; Michael told me that he knows how things went, but I didn't press him"

"What does he think about Dan?"

"Well, he doesn't seem eager to meet him, though I can't blame him; he looked interested in meeting with Lucas and Nathan, though"

"From what Lucas told me, they have already met yesterday, when we came back"

"Really? How did it go?"

"I don't know much…Lucas said that they were going to meet again today, and Nathan should be present, as well"

"I hope they'll get along…the boy looked fine, but I think he's hiding something...you should talk to him, too"

"That's what I plan to do; I can't guess how Dan will react, but I think the boy needs some help to get used to the situation"

"Good to know…now, if you don't mind, I have something to do…"

"As you wish" Keith stood up, and headed to the door; before opening it, he turned to his friend "Whitey…you should think about the surgery" and left, leaving the old coach to his thoughts.

*************The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

"Damn, I am exhausted" Lucas leaned on his knees, breathing heavily.

"Me too" exhaled Michael, who was sitting on the bench near the court.

"Me three" said Nathan, passing a bottle of water to each of his brothers.

They had played non-stop for hours, until their legs were unable to go on; during the short breaks between each game, they had started to talk about each other, setting the basis of a bonding.

"I'd never expected you two to be _this _good" Michael managed to say.

"I have to say that I'm really impressed, as well" Lucas admitted, and Nathan nodded.

"If we don't win the State Championships next year, Whitey will kill us" he laughed, soon followed by the other two.

"You know, you're not like I figured you would be, Nate" Michael stood up, stretching "I thought you were going to be the typical basketball jock, a jerk whose ass I was going to kick, gladly"

"You just had bad timing: few months ago, he was the king of jackasses" Lucas smirked as he dodged Nathan's empty bottle.

"And now, you're married…she must be amazing"

"She is" Lucas and Nathan answered at the same time, to Michael's surprise; they grinned at each other when he said "Am I missing something?"

"You see, Hales is my best friend; back when I joined the team, Nathan tried to use her for pay back…"

"I admit it, I was a bastard…but" Nathan's blue eyes were filled with love "I don't regret it: thanks to that, I met Haley, and that's the best thing that happened in my life."

"Woah man, you got it bad!" both Michael and Lucas laughed at Nathan "In any case, I expected you to be the one to mess up with girls, and here I found that my big brother has a past with two of the hottest girls I ever met!"

Lucas groaned "Did they tell you something about…"

"Relax, they didn't say a word; it's just that I guessed they had some heart issues, and it was pretty obvious with whom, after you came" Michael grinned, but then listened seriously as Lucas explained what happened in the past months between him, Brooke and Peyton; the brown-haired boy could feel the regret and shame in his brother's voice, so he decided to change topic.

"Now, I think you're both curious to hear my story, aren't you?" he asked, and, when both Lucas and Nathan nodded, he continued "Ok, here we go..."

Since I was born, i've carried my mom's surname, Bayle; however, my mother told me that my father's surname was Scott, and that he left us before when she was pregnant, and I didn't press her for further info: even when she offered to tell me who my father was, I refused."

"Why?" asked Nathan.

"Honestly, I never felt the need to know my father, or to have one; I had my mother, and that was more than enough for me: why would I need a man who didn't ever care for me?"

"Are you saying that Dan _was aware _of you? He never said anything about it" Lucas was dead serious now; Nathan remained silent, the same expression of the blonde in his eyes.

Michael sighed: he knew that the time to tell this part of the story would come, but both Lucas and Nathan had the right to hear it.

*************The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

"There's nothing to talk about it, Deb"

"But Dan, that's an urgent matter!" Deb tried, once again, to reason with her husband: she had decided to don't say a word about Nathan's marriage (that was something her own son would have to do), but she told him of Michael; after a moment of shock, Dan had remained silent.

"Listen, I know you're still tired, but we need to do something: first, I think we should book a DNA test, then, depending on the result…"

"There's no need for that, Deb" Dan paused for a moment, the memories of the past carved in his mind.

*************The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

_He was at Charlotte, and he had just played one of his worst match since he was in college, a far cry from his triumph with the Ravens; he had an heated argument with Deb, who decided to return to the college with a friend, instead of spending the night with him._

_He was staring at the empty court, trying desperately to avoid thinking about Karen and the baby he abandoned, about his game, which was getting worse despite his hellish training, when…_

"_Didn't think I would see the day when the almighty Dan Scott would fall" an amused voice surprised him and, turning around, he saw a pretty girl, with a mass of black hair held by a ponytail, and piercing green eyes behind glasses._

"_Who are you?" he asked, annoyed, and the girl smirked._

"_My name's Martha Bayle…"_

_He remembered that they got drunk together that night, but they didn't have sex: that happened the week after, when he lied to Deb, and came back to Charleston to see her again; she never knew that he had a girlfriend, and he never felt guilty about it._

_He never loved her, not even for a second, but thanks to her, he realized that he didn't love Deb, either; or at least, not as much as he loved Karen. _

_A month later, he finally took the courage to end both the relationships: he called Martha first and, to his surprise, she accepted it well, almost relieved, and he guessed it was because they didn't met in the past two weeks, so she may have somehow sensed that there was no future for them._

_Feeling better, he met up with Deb, but, before he could say anything, she was hugging him, crying that she was pregnant, and his destiny changed in that moment._

_Nine years later, he was at Charlotte for a business meeting, when he ran into Martha for the last time; they had just greeted each other when a little kid with brown hair reached her, and stared at him with the same, deep green eyes of her mother._

_His heart stopped in that moment: the boy, who had the same age of Nathan (and Lucas, whispered a little voice in his head), was familiar, even though he had never met him before; it didn't took him much to realize that the kid looked like him._

_Few hours later, he was screaming at Martha, in the hotel room he rented; she had left her son with her parents._

"_WHY YOU NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT HIM? HE'S MY SON!"_

"_For you to act like you did with Karen Roe?" asked Martha, her voice as cold as ice._

"_How do you know about…"_

"_After the last time we met, I went to visit coach Durham at Tree Hill" she revealed, and he felt a shiver running down his spine "I guess I've never told you that we were friends, haven't I? However, imagine my surprise when, by mentioning your name, your coach's face darkened, and told me about your high-school pregnant girlfriend you left; it was then that I decided to stop seeing each other."_

"_When I called you, you were already…"_

"_Yes, I was already aware of my pregnancy, but I thought you didn't deserve to know about it, and, it was the right choice: after all, you had another children to take care of…yes, I am aware of Nathan" she answered the question he was going to make "Whitey told me about him and Deb in a letter…I'm glad you took at least responsibility for __**one**__ of your sons."_

"_I don't know what to say…"_

"_Then don't say anything: I don't hold any grudge towards you; all I want is you to don't interfere with my and Michael's life, we don't need you."_

"_But…"_

"_If in the future, if he asks me to meet his dad, I'll call you, and I'll let you met him; but, before that happens, you have to stay away from his life"_

*************The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

"You…you knew…about him…" Deb was stuttering "You knew about him, and you never told me about it?"

"What difference would have done, if I had told you the truth? We were already having problems on our own, remember?" Dan asked, and Deb felt guilt as she recalled her love affair.

"Listen to me, Deb: I know I have done many mistakes in my life, but I'm willing to change: life is too short, and I want to make it up to you and Nathan…I want us to be a family again"

"What about Michael?"

"If he wants to meet me, I'll do whatever I can to redeem myself, and the same applies to Lucas; they're my sons, like Nathan is, and I shouldn't have needed an heart attack to realize that; but who I need mostly, now, is you: will you give me another chance?"

Deb looked straight into the eyes of her husband, the same man she wanted divorce from, until a day ago; after so many years, he reminds her of the boy she fell in love in college… "Yes, Dan: we'll try to be a family, again" _with Nathan._

*************The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

"So, since Tutor Wife here doesn't want to tell us anything about her b…"

"For the last time, Brooke, I am _not_ pregnant, ok?" Haley interrupted the girl, annoyed: it seemed that Brooke couldn't get over the idea that she wasn't expecting a baby.

"Hales, we believe you" Peyton said, glaring at Brooke when she made a muffled noise.

"As I was saying" Brooke resumed "Did Nathan tell you anything about his new brother?"

"I only know that he was going to meet with him and Lucas this morning; I haven't heard anything from him since he left the apartment" Haley glanced at Brooke and Peyton "You have met him…how is he?"

"He seems…"

"Definitely hot"

"Brooke…"

"Right, he doesn't seem hot: he _is _hot, and was totally checking on Peyton"

"What? He wasn't! If he was checking on someone, it was you!"

"Come on, Goldilocks, admit it: you like the new Scott in town, don't you?"

"I could ask you the same question"

"And my answer is that, though the guy is undeniably hot, I'm not looking forward for another love triangle, so you can take it"

"Uhm, girls, did you ever consider that _maybe_ he was just being polite, and that he isn't currently interested in any of you?"

"And what would you know of it, Tutor Wife? Is it perhaps your motherly instinct, awakening in you?"

Peyton stared amused at Brooke and Haley's bickering, her mind free to wonder about what happened in the last hours: sure, Michael looked like a good, decent guy, and quite handsome, but she wasn't in the mood for it…

_Not when I still think about him_…_stop it, Sawyer: there's no use to dwell in the past…_

"C'mon, Haley, we're your friends; you can tell anything to u…wait, it's my phone" Brooke's voice snapped Peyton from her reverie "It's a message from Theresa…oh no" she said, and handed the phone to Haley, who paled immediately.

"What's going on?" Peyton asked, but she didn't need answer, as Haley turned the phone to make her read the message…_Damn it_

"We need to tell Lucas and Nathan about it ASAP!"

*************The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

"So, Dan managed to father the three of us within three months…unbelievable" Lucas commented.

"I think that would be a Guinness World Record" Nathan tried to joke about it, but all three of them remained silent "You said your mother was a sports journalist…how was it?"

"It was great: she knew almost everything about any sport, although what she loved most was Basketball"

"Did she even pressure you…"

"To play? Never, but there was no need for it; since I touched the ball for the first time, I fell in love for the game; when I am in the court, I feel like I have total control of my life, like I am the only maker of my destiny. Did you ever feel anything like that?"

"Always"

"Every time I have a ball in my hands"

The three boys stared at the sky for a while, each deep in his own thoughts, when Lucas' cellphone rang; he quickly answered it "Hi, it's…Hales? What's going on?" Nathan stiffened at his brother's words, but Lucas made a reassuring gesture "I'm listening…ok, thank you, Haley, I'll tell him."

"What happened?" asked Nathan, concerned "What did she say?"

"Everything's fine, except…"Lucas stared at Michael "it seems that someone else knows about you."

_That doesn't sound good._

"Apparently, when you met Whitey, two days ago" Lucas continued "one of the school's cheerleaders was there, visiting her aunt; her name is Theresa" Nathan groaned as Lucas mentioned the girl's name.

"She loves to gossip, and she has overheard your talk, and she's now spreading the news to everyone…I'm sorry, Mike."

"Don't be" Michael stood up "To tell you the truth, I don't care about it: I never intended to keep it a secret."

"Even if it's like that, remember this: we've got your back, brother" Nathan said, raising his arm; Lucas nodded, and raised his arm as well, placing his hand on top of Nathan "We will be here for you, Michael."

Michael smiled, and his hand reached his brother's ones "Thank you guys…especially you, Nathan: at least, I won't be the only one hot topic: you and the sister-in-law I have yet to meet will share this honor with me"

"Damn, I have forgotten about it" muttered Nathan, making both Lucas and Michael burst in laughter.

_Don't worry, Nate: I've got your backs, too._


	4. A little update

**Hi guys! Just wanted to inform you all that the new chapter should be ready in 1-2 days; after that, I'm going to work on the next, but it could take some time since I'm preparing an exam for university for two weeks (I'll try to make at least another one during those two weeks); after that, i should have more free time to write :)  
**

**See ya!  
**


	5. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! I'm really sorry for the delay, but chapter three is finally out! Hope you all like it :D  
**

**To alex1332: thank you for your suggestion, I liked it, and used it, though i changed the nickname is something similar, but more catchy, I think. Tell me what do you think about it!  
**

**Special Thanks for Sweetlilloz for her work of beta-reading :D  
**

**The Third Scott Brother**

**Chapter Three: The Wedding Party  
**

**Note, I do not own OTH, only Michael Scott, Martha Bayle...and soon, someone else :P  
**

"Hi mom" Lucas greeted Karen as he walked in the kitchen, rubbing his eyes as he dropped himself into a chair.

Karen stared at her son longer than usual, no matter how happy she was for Lucas' return, she still couldn't get used to his new haircut; she sighed: there wasn't anything she could do about that right now.

"Hi, my boy; how did the meeting with Michael go?" she asked, rather interested about this latest development.

"Quite good, mom; he's a great guy" Lucas said as he smiled, recalling the previous day. The three boys had kept playing basketball and talking for the most of the day, and, as time passed, they had bonded well, and at a rather astonishing speed that surprised Lucas himself.

"Good, I am glad" Karen smiled; it was then that she noticed that her son was staring at her

"What?" she asked, resting a hand on her hip.

"Nothing, it's just…you seem to be taking it well, a little too well" Lucas had been rather shocked at this: he thought for sure that his mother would overreact in some way but he was still waiting for that to happen.

"You feared that I would be upset by the fact that Dan had fathered another son? I admit I was shocked when Whitey told me about him however it's Dan Scott we're talking about, nothing about that man shocks me anymore."

"So, Michael's presence doesn't make you uncomfortable?"

"Of course not, Lucas; it's the same with Nathan: I don't blame him or Deb for Dan's mistakes, so why should I have problems with Michael? Personally, I think it's great that you and Nathan are helping him out."

"Me too, mom" Lucas said, with a wide smile on his lips, then he stood up and pushed the chair back under the table like he had been taught too from a very young age.

"Well, time for me to go" he had to meet up with Brooke and Peyton before school, hoping that they would want to help him with a party for Nathan and Haley.

"By the way, Whitey told me that he's looking out for a job? Has he found it already?" Karen asked before Lucas left.

"Not yet" answered Lucas as he reached the door "Bye mom!" he shouted.

"Bye!" Karen shouted back as she made her way from the kitchen to the living room, sitting down already deep in thought.

*********The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

Michael was standing in front of the Tree Hill High School's entrance, observing the countless boys and girls walking, chatting…the same people that, most likely, already knew the last gossip of Tree Hill: a new student was going to join them, a guy that was Dan Scott's third son.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his dark brown hair; he was deep in thought when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Turning around, he saw Nathan grinning, his other hand circling the waist of a brunette girl that was smiling kindly at him.

"Getting scared now, middle brother?" asked Nathan, a mischievous glint in his clear blue eyes.

Michael laughed "Not scared, rather annoyed by the chance of being the target of all the school's stares for all the day."

Nathan nodded "I understand how you feel; when I play on the court, the crowd's shouting doesn't affect me at all, but in everyday life, all that attention is irritating."

_Tell me about it_ Michael thought, and, in the blink of an eye, he was back in the past…

_Everyone was watching him with prying eyes as he made his way through his locker, whispering; they gasped when he slammed his locker close, a tall, blonde girl staring at him with her puffy, red eyes filled with anger, sadness, and guilt…_

_Stop it now_ he told himself _Totally not the time for that_ He shifted his attention to the girl with his brother "I don't think we have ever meet, I'm Michael" he offered his hand "You must be Haley" he added.

"Nice to meet you, Michael, and yes, I'm Haley" she smiled as she shook his hand, then hesitated for a moment "I'm…sorry to hear about your mother"

"Thank you" Michael said, taken aback only for a moment: he had kind of expected that he would have to face many questions about his mother, but he wasn't in the mood for that right now, so he decide to change the subject

"I guess congratulations are in order, sis-in-law" he winked at Haley.

"T-thanks…"she stuttered, then she gasped when she notice the time "we better go or we'll be late for class"

"Go ahead, Haley" Nathan said "I've got something to talk about with Michael" Haley nodded, and headed to the school.

"Is something wrong, Nathan?"

"Not exactly…I talked to Dan." said Nathan too sure how is newly found older brother would take what he had to say.

"Oh" Michael frowned "How did he react to you and Haley getting married?"

"He was shocked, but strangely, he didn't say much about it…however, this isn't what I wanted to tell you" Nathan paused for a moment before going on

"He said…he wants to see both you and Lucas."

"So he knows" Michael started walking towards the building, followed by Nathan.

"Yeah, my mom must have told him…what do you want to do?" he asked, knowing just what Dan was like: he tolerated Lucas because of Karen, but Michael didn't have a mother to back him up to get his overbearing father to lay off of him.

"I still don't know…honestly, I'm not so eager to see him…but, if I'm going to stay here, I can't and don't want to hide from him forever."

"About living here…there's an apartment for rent, close to mine, and I know the owner: I can arrange an appointment, if you want."

"Thanks, I appreciate that"

"Don't sweat it"

"In any case, I still have to search for a job; otherwise I won't be able to afford it." Michael finished, groaning.

"I'm in the same boat: I need to find a more profitable job, now that I'm married: Haley has one at the cafe with Lucas's mum but I really need one too" Nathan started explaining, but couldn't say anymore when he noticed that they were surrounded by a bunch of people.

"Let's get this freak show started" muttered Michael, as they kept walking, followed by curious glances "Now we have the proof that both of our situations are known" he pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket "I have an English literature class right now, with Warren."

"Lucky dog" Nathan grinned "Warren is cool, I had him last year."

"Good to know; how do I reach his class?"

"Follow the hallway to the left after the lockers, until you reach the last door: that's his class."

"Thanks man, see you later."

"Good luck in there, Mike" Nathan smirked "Don't get overwhelmed by fame" he warned in a playful tone as he left Michael to the horde of onlookers.

"Damn it" Michael thought: he hated being the new kid, even worse he was a new kid with an infamous last name well here at Least.

*********The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

_I Never expected that school could be so boring_ Michael thought sadly; he had been targeted by an infinite number of questions all morning, without considering the constant glances and whispers that followed him to every class, making him seriously ponder the possibility of skipping the lessons after lunch.

He sighed in relief when the bell signaling the lunch break rang; he stood up and quickly hurried out of the classroom; he had nearly reached his locker when he heard a voice behind him "Excuse me, but you..."

"Oh, come on, guys, give me a break!" he scoffed, his irritation exploding "Can't you leave me in peace even for a damned single mom…?"

"Actually, you forgot your cell phone in last class" a short guy, with light brown, spiky hair answered, rather amused at the outburst.

"Ah…" Michael took his cell phone, a bit embarrassed "Well, thank you, and sorry for outburst…"

"No harm done" he answered, then he talked again "So, you're Lucas' second brother" he stated.

"Yes I a…wait, you know Lucas?"

The guy smiled "I'm an old friend of Luke's, my name's Mouth."

"Mouth?" Michael asked: he had heard of some pretty strange names, but Mouth had to be getting up in his list.

"It's a nickname, my real name's Marvin but no one calls me that. Not even the teachers" answered Mouth; Michael laughed and nodded before sticking out his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mouth" he said, grinning as they shook hands "Especially since you're the first one who isn't staring at me like I'm some freak of nature"

"Well, you have to admit that it's not your everyday news, and the Scott name tends to catch the attention especially in these halls...but I'm sure things will settle down, eventually"

Michael nodded, doubtful, then noticed the recorder strapped on Mouth's belt, becoming a little weary of the short guy in front of him for moment.

"What's that for? You're not going to interview me, are you?"

Mouth blushed a bit, uncomfortable now "Not exactly, but I plan to if you're going to join the Ravens...you see, I'm opening a website for next year's season, where people will find interviews with the coach, the players, and they also listen to my live broadcast of the games" he paused when Michael's smile widened

"Is there something funny?" Mouth asked.

"Not at all" Michael answered "That's some cool stuff you're planning, man"

"Really?"

"Sure it is" Michael confirmed, and it was the truth; Mouth's passion for the game was clear, reminding him of his mother's "I'd like to hear your commentary in the future…and of course, you'll be the first to interview the new star player of Three Hill High Ravens"

"I was right: you are really cocky," a voice said, and a second later Lucas was there, smirking "Mouth" he greeted with a nod.

"Hey Luke, it's good to see you…though I didn't expect you to be back so soon"

"Yeah, you've got a point here" Lucas laughed, then looked around, making sure they were alone "However, I'm planning something for Nathan and Haley, and I need your help" he whispered.

"Count me in" was Michael's answer.

"Should I contact Skills and the rest of the River court gang as well?" asked Mouth.

"I have already found Skills and Fergie and told them about it, but I haven't seen Junk"

"I'll tell him" Mouth said "Where are we going to meet?"

"I'll text you with the details; I owe you one, Mouth" said Lucas, and Mouth shrugged with a smile: didn't everyone, at some time or another?

"No problem; see the both of you later, then" the short boy said before heading off; Lucas and Michael remained silent for a while, the silence between them interrupted when the blonde boy spoke.

"Did Nathan tell you about..." Lucas asked, trailing off, not sure if he should bring up the as yet approached topic of their father.

"Yes, he did" Michael answered dryly.

"Have you decided whether to meet him or not?"

"Not yet...what about you?"

"Same as you, little brother...I'm going to grab something for lunch, want to join? Haley and Nathan should be there,"

"Thanks, but I need some time alone"

Lucas nodded, and headed to the cafeteria; Michael lent on his locker, sighing. The Dan situation needed to be solved quickly; he didn't want to drag it any longer, but he still hadn't decided what to tell him yet, nor he had come to term with his feeling towards him.

He wasn't resentful: after all, his mother never wanted Dan to have a role in his life, and Michael himself never felt the need to meet him but, when he thought of how much harder life must have been for Lucas and his mother thanks to Dan, he felt his blood boil.

_I have to distract myself somehow_ He thought, walking through the hallway, until he ended up staring at something that made him smirk _Well, that could work._

*********The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

Peyton was sitting alone on a bench, headphones cutting out the rest of the world, on her lap was her sketchbook.

Sometimes, she preferred to spend lunch alone, with just her music and her art, instead of joining a cackling crowd; that, of course was if a certain brunette best friend of hers didn't butt in. Today, however she wasn't so lucky, Peyton sighed as she felt someone grabbing her headphones. She then heard the cheerful voice of said best friend "P. Sawyer, what are you doing here, all alone? And seriously, why do you always listen such depressing music?"

_I knew it was too good to be true, one lunch without Miss Cheery _"Brooke, I do not comment on the stuff you call music so leave mine alone, also I was enjoying being 'all alone' as you put it" she said quoting with her fingers, before hurrying to hide the drawing of a young man with a little girl in his arms, boarding a ship. _I'm totally not in the mood for a Brooke lecture on this particular sketch_ She loved Brooke dearly but even for her the bubbliness became too much.

"Meow! Retract your claws, Goldilocks! I was just checking on you...though maybe I know why you're so grumpy"

"Hmm…could it because of the captain of the cheerleaders? I hate that girl, you know."

"I don't think so, that girl's too cool" Brooke ignored the blonde's snorting "No, I know what it is: you're totally waiting for Illusive Boy to make his move, am I right?"

"Who?" Peyton asked, confused "I don't have any idea of who the hell is this Illusive Boy."

"Come on, I'm talking about Michael!"

_Oh no, not that again_ "Ok, first…how on earth did you come up with that nickname?"

"Duh, it's obvious" Brooke smiled as she started explaining.

_Brooke smiled again while she observed Michael "I don't remember ever seeing you in Tree Hill before…are you new around here?"_

_"Just moved in, I'll start at Tree Hill High next week"_

_"Do you have some parents here?" Peyton asked._

_"Hmmm…well, it's kind of a long story…besides" he grinned to both of them "A boy surrounded in mystery looks hotter, doesn't he?"_

"So, now he's Illusive Boy? Seriously?"

"Why not? I think it's quite catchy, don't you think?" Brooke giggled "Or would you have preferred another nickname of your new boyfriend?"

"For the last time, Brooke, I'm not interested in Micha…"

"Whoa there! Who's interested in whom?" Nathan asked, having overheard Peyton's last sentence.

"Just great" Peyton groaned, while Brooke had her attention shifted to Nathan and Haley, who were taking place at the table.

"Tutor wife! How are you feeling today? Are you having morning sickness already? Is Hotshot taking good care of you?"

"Brooke, I'm not pregnant" Haley sighed

"What was that talking about?" Nathan interrupted, slightly curious about the two girls' conversation

"Oh nothing, only Peyton not admitting her crush on Illusive Boy…"

"Who?" Both Nathan and Haley asked, looking between their friends, clearly confused about the conversation.

"Just Brooke's stupid nickname for Michael" muttered Peyton.

"Shut up Goldilocks, my nickname is great, and besides, you didn't deny that you've got a crush on him!"

"So, Sawyer has the hots for my brother, uh?" Nathan smirked at Peyton "You know, I could help you if you want."

"Not you too, Nathan! Brooke, that's enough, as I said already, Michael, was checking on you, not m…"

"Peyton, believe me, Michael is…"

"Seems to be having quite the conversation with Rose Hart over there" Haley pointed at the building's doorway, where Michael was flirting with a cute raven-haired girl, who was laughing.

"Well, that solves the issues" stated Haley, who was desperately trying not to laugh at Brooke's stunned expression and Peyton's relieved one.

"I can't believe it! I was sure he had a crush on you!"

"Well, as you can see you were wrong, so please stop bothering me." Peyton started drawing again, while the other three kept observing Michael and Rose.

"Isn't she senior year?" asked Haley, and Brooke nodded.

"That's my brother for you" Nathan said proudly, then he noticed the dirty looks that the three girls were throwing at him; Haley hit him on his arm just before getting up and leaving, followed by Brooke and Peyton.

"What?" he yelled, before gathering his things and running after his wife.

*********The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

Dan Scott woke up slowly, stretching himself; it was already early afternoon; as soon as Nathan left, he had decided to take a rest, not much concerned about the marriage news.

Of course the shock had been terrible, but he was sure that there was no need for him, or Deb, to intervene in order to break it: after all, neither Nathan or Haley had the money, or the jobs, to maintain themselves _This marriage is bound to end itself._

A knock on the door broke Dan from his thoughts "Deb, I've already told you that you don't have to check on me every hou…"

"I'm not Deb."

Not recognizing the voice who spoke, Dan turned around: in front of him was a boy-well a young man really-with brown hair and deep green eyes; Dan gasped; he still remembered those eyes, and the boy looked a lot like him, at that age.

"I…wasn't expecting you to come so soon." he stated calmly.

"I didn't expect it either" Michael retorted, still unsure of his decision.

"Well…here we are…I guess…you have a lot of questions." said Dan sitting up in the bed the best he could.

"Actually, I have nothing to ask you."

"I have trouble believing it." said Dan eyeing of the boy: even Lucas had had questions.

"It's the truth, so whether you accept it or not, is up to you, I'm not here to convince you of that" said Michael folding his arms across his chest.

"Then, why are you here?" Dan asked his curiosity peaked as to why his third son had come of not to ask any questions.

"You know, since I've discovered that you're my father, I've been wondering about my feeling towards you: Do I hate him, or not? I've kept asking myself this question, even when I arrived here, when I heard more about you and when I met Nathan and Lucas…until now." said Michael leaning against the wall.

"Did you get your answer?"

Michael stared at his father, looking him right in the eyes "I don't hate you. I don't know you but I don't hate you"

*********The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

"What is that?" Peyton asked, referring to the spinning chair that sat in the middle of their small circle, where Mouth happened to be sitting.

They were in an empty room, near Karen's Cafe, that was going to be made into a club for Nathan and Haley's wedding reception. There were seven of them: Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Mouth, Skills, Fergie and Junk.

"This, Missy blond girl, is the Brooke Davis version of Spin the Bottle. Only now, it's Spin the Body, watch." Brooke spun Mouth, and he stopped spinning while looking at Fergie "OK, you two have to make out." she laughed at the looks on their face and rested a hand on Mouths shoulder. "You don't have to now, but if that happens on the night, rules are rules and lastly we have Five Minutes in the Elevator."

"Isn't it Five Minutes in the Closet?" objected Lucas, but Brooke waved him off.

"Yeah, if you're in junior high, which we are…_not,_ so the great part about this is: you know how everybody has their elevator list?" she asked, looking at her friends.

"What'cha talkin' bout Davis?" this time, it was Skills who stopped Brooke: the young man looked confused, as the rest of them did.

"Come on you guys, your elevator list! The list of people you're allowed to have sex with if you're ever stuck in an elevator with them!" she said, scoffing: how were these people her friends, really? Sometimes she seriously wondered about that.

"Halle Berry." Skills stated, followed by Junk.

"Beyoncé."

"Jack Black." Everyone looked at Peyton, who shrugged and smirked at them: it really shouldn't have been a surprise.

"Brooke Davis." Everyone smiled when Mouth told his preference: it was no secret among the friends-or the rest of Tree Hill for that matter-that Mouth had a thing for Brooke Davis for, well, as long as any of them could remember.

"Well, everyone will make a list and, if two people have each other names ... it's Five Minutes in the Elevator!"

"Sounds like fun! Should we start the party already?" Michael's voice rumbled in the room, surprising everyone "Sorry for the delay guys, I had some stuff to deal with" he apologized.

"Don't worry about it, Mike" Lucas reassured him "You've already met Mouth, these two are Fergie and Junk" he paused as Michael exchanged greetings with them.

"And this man here is Antwon Skills Taylor"

"Yo, man" Skills bumped fists with Michael "Luke told me that you know quite how to handle the ball on the court"

"I would say that the ball isn't the only thing Illusive boy here can handle." Brooke added, much to the guys' confusion.

"Illusive boy?" Michael and Lucas asked at the same time.

"It's Brooke's nickname for you, Michael" explained Peyton, smiling at the two brothers' blank expression; rolling her eyes, she sat back and folded her arms.

"She gives them to everyone, for example: Nathan is Hotshot/Superstar, Lucas is Broody, Haley is Tutor Girl, Tutor Wife, and pretty much anything that goes with Tutor. I'm P. Sawyer, Goldilocks, Skinny Legs and whatever she comes up with. And that applies to everyone"

"So, I guess I should feel flattered?" Michael asked, weary of the new nickname he'd suddenly been given.

"Damn right you should!" exclaimed Brooke, glaring at Peyton when she fake coughed something that sounded like 'not'.

"Whatever" Michael smiled amused at their antics "But what did you mean when you said that the ball isn't the only thing I can handle?" he asked curiously.

"I think she's referring to you hooking up with that girl, Rose Hart," suggested Fergie.

"For real? Awesome man, that chick is a hot piece of as…" Skills stopped when he remembered that there were two girls with them, but high-fived Michael nonetheless.

"That's my brother for you" laughed Lucas, turning to Peyton and Brooke when he heard their scoffing "What?"

"Unbelievable, you and Nathan had the same reaction" Brooke shook her head.

"They're Scotts, what did you expect?" Peyton asked; Brooke had to give her that: before Haley and this whole wedding which she still totally didn't understand, Nathan had always been a playboy, a major ladies man.

"Hey guys, I think we should hurry" Mouth interrupted "We have only 2-3 hours before Nathan and Haley arrive here."

"Ok guys, time to work!"

They all scattered, and, while he was hanging a garland, Lucas left his mind to wander freely.

_I'm pretty sure that they both didn't read my letter, and I'm ok with this…She seems to be fine, I'm glad…but then, why it feels so painful watching her smiling?_ He thought.

- Later that Night—

Michael was watching the James' giving their speech to Nathan and Haley, the crowd erupting in laugher at the jokes that Haley's parents kept coming up with.

_It had been one hell of a wedding reception already_ he thought, recalling what happened earlier that evening: the utter surprise of Nathan and Haley when they were welcomed by shouts and spray strings; Peyton's shock after finding that Brooke had hooked her up with multiple guys; it was then that…

_Michael was staring at the blonde, her eyes filled with the intent to kill her best friend, when a gentle voice called to him, and, a moment later, he was facing an older woman he could only guess was Lucas's mother: his older brother looked a lot like her in some aspects; a small smile on her lips._

_"I don't think we have been introduced, I'm Karen." she said __**So I was right**__ he thought__** well, she seems a hell of a lot nicer then Nathan's mother **__He'd only seen Deb around town but even with his quick glances he got the idea that she wasn't the most pleasant person in the town, at least in these days._

_"I'm Michael…but I guess you already know that." he said, awkwardly._

_"Yes, I do" she paused for a moment "how are you settling in?"_

_"Quite well, actually…except for all the stares and whispers."_

_Karen chuckled "I know how you feel…Lucas told me that you're looking for a job" when he nodded, she continued "I have a proposal for you."_

_"I'm listening."_

_"I'm thinking of taking some college classes soon, and I may need one or two more workers…are you interested?"_

_"Seriously?"_

Michael couldn't stop the satisfied smile that spread to his lips: after accepting Karen's offer, he had talked to Nathan, who gave him the number of the man renting the apartment near his. _It seems I'm truly staying here for good._

The party was a blast, and all the guests were having fun, until Deb came; both Nathan and Haley tensed when they saw the blonde woman, but were at the same time hoping that she was there for a truce.

However, their hopes were crushed when Deb rudely attacked Haley's parents. It was then that Haley surprised everyone-and maybe even herself- by jumping to the defense of her parents, and yelling at her mother-in-law before telling her to leave.

A tense feeling hung in the air over everyone until Lucas began his speech in honor of the married couple.

"_I think everybody…knows that Nathan and I got off to a pretty sketchy start. Nathan, mutual hatred sound about right?" Lucas asked._

_"Worse" Nathan answered the both of them laughed along with the rest of the room._

_"Yeah, you see then a funny thing happened...Haley. She showed me that you can find the good in everybody, if you just give them a chance; the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes, people disappoint you. Sometimes they surprise you. But you never really get to know them. Until you listen for what's in their hearts and that's what Haley did with Nathan. That's what we should do for them. So for you sceptics out there, prepare to be surprised. So this is to my...brother and my little sis... in-law, and in love." Lucas finished, and a roaring applause exploded in the club._

Michael snapped from his memories when he heard more applauses: the James' had finished their speech. Thinking fast, he stood up, and reached the microphone.

"Can I have everyone's attention for a moment?" he asked, his voice amplified throughout the room, many people turning to look at him. He ignored the occasional gasps of surprise before looking to his younger brother, and his younger sister-in-law as well.

"Most of you don't know me, but that doesn't matter right now; I'm Michael Scott, and I'd like to say a few words about Nathan and Haley, even though I met them only recently.

There are people who claim that hasty decisions are doomed to fail; that it's wise to ponder and plan everything, instead of rushing into things; those people would say that this marriage…that it's a mistake, a whim of two teenagers...

I feel pity for them, because they have become so focused in following their own cold logic, that they can no longer hear what their hearts desire. The tragedy of life is not so much what men suffer, but rather what they miss. I haven't known Nathan and Haley for long, but even a blind man could see, how much they love each other; and that this choice is the right one. To Nathan and Haley."

As new cheers exploded, Michael reached Nathan and Haley, hugging both of them.

"Thank you, Michael"

"No biggie, little brother" he smiled, then he headed to the tables, sitting on a chair.

"Those were nice words" said Peyton, taking a seat next to him.

"What can I say? I have a way with words." Michael smirked.

"Are you ok? It seems your mind is a million miles away from here, anything bothering you?" she asked sitting down.

Michael stared at Peyton, pondering what to tell her, then he sighed "Do you want to hear a secret?"

*********The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

_Michael stared at his father, looking him right in the eyes "I don't hate you. I don't know you but I don't hate you"_

_"I'm glad to hear that" Dan looked relieved "There's so much we have to talk ab…"_

_"I haven't finished" Michael stopped him by holding up a finger._

_"I said I don't hate you, but I don't like you, either, I don't blame you for not being a father to me, but what you did to Lucas? To his mother, Nathan and your own brother? I can't stand it."_

_"I know I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I regret them, I'm trying to change, to make it up to the people I've hurt."_

_"That's all well and good, but in the end, it just talk; not everything can be forgotten."_

_"So, that's your last word?"_

_"No, it's not; in the future, I may change my mind…but for the time being, I'm asking you to leave me alone."_

*********The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

"Wow" Peyton shook her head "Do Nathan and Lucas know?"

"Not yet…Tonight was for Nathan and Haley; I didn't want to ruin it in any way." Michael stared at the couple, then shifted his attention back to the blonde girl sitting across from him.

"Soooo…since Brooke is still alive; I assume you won't murder her?" he asked smirking, he chuckled when Peyton rolled her eyes.

"Not yet" Peyton grinned "I'm still furious with her, but I know she's just trying to help."

"She seems like a good friend."

"The best"

"Just asking, but why did she look so upset about me and Rose hooking up?"

"Rose and I...Sorry I've been friends with Haley too long. Although if you don't want Haley to go all tutor girl on you, you might want to keep that in mind, as for Brooke" Peyton chuckled, a bit embarrassed "She was pretty sure that you were…into me, and vice versa."

"I see…" Michael said, amused at what Peyton had said about both Haley and Brooke: it seemed he had a lot to learn, especially about the girls in the group that his brothers were in…they all seemed so different, but, at the same time, they knew each other so well.

"Are you into me?" he asked.

"Sorry, but I've already dated your brothers...so I'll pass, no offence…" she said, not even thinking that her dating both Lucas and Nathan at one point would be a big issue for them…it was old news, something none of them really thought much of anymore. Well she didn't, not Nathan anyway-that seemed like a lifetime ago.

_Without considering what you're feeling for…_she shut the little voice in her head before her thoughts drifted to…"What about you?" she asked.

"I…wait, both? Did you and Nathan…" Michael asked, his jaw practically hitting the floor.

"Yup, though it feels like it happened a lifetime ago."

"Woah…Tree Hill is sure full of drama…" Michael commented

"However, getting back to your question, it's a no…not that I'm currently looking for a girlfriend." _Not after…Stop! You are not going to go there Michael…stop it._

"Heart issues?" She asked, smirking at Michael's surprised expression "You're not the only one good at observing people." She said tilting her head to the side and waiting for his reply.

"Guilty."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nah, it's the past now and I plan to keep it there, I'm sure you have a few things like that. Like your relationship with Nathan?" he asked, and Peyton laughed and nodded.

"Touché"

"Well well, what do we have here?" Brooke's voice interrupted them "You two seem pretty deep in conversation…"

"Actually, we were just saying how much we're _not_ interested in each other" answered Peyton.

"Don't worry, Goldilocks, we'll find you someone better than Illusive Boy."

"Is there anything I can do to change my nickname?" groaned Michael.

"Hmmm…let me think" Brooke feigned to be pondering the question "Nope! Sorry, you have to deal with it, Illusive Boy!"

*********The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

The party was ending when someone entered in the club; it was a tall girl, with long, reddish blond hair; she stopped at the entrance, her ruby eyes darting everywhere, until they found a brown-haired boy laughing with two girls.

_Found you, Michael._

**Read and Review!**_  
_


	6. Second Update

**Hi everyone! I know that I said that I would post a new chapter the past week, but I'm having little time to dedicate to this fic, due to exams.  
**

**However, I'm going to post the new chapter soon (i hope before the end of the week); actually, it will be the first of three parts of the chapter, since i've got a lot of ideas to put in this one (it's related to the Dare Nigh, one of my most favourite episodes of OTH :D); i thought that, by splitting it, I should be able to post at least a part for week, hopefully ;P  
**

**Also, I wanted to say this: although I'm going to finish this fic regardlessly from the number of reviews, it's also obvious that, in a situation where I have not much free time, more review would be an incentive to write faster ;)  
**

**That said, see you soon, with the new chapter of The Third Scott Brother!  
**


	7. Chapter 4, Part 1

**Hi guys! I'm really sorry for the delay, but finally, here's the first part of the new chapter; it's settled in Episode 2x05, "I Will Dare", check it out! Also, I will release the second part of the chapter in around half a day (around 12.00 am, italian time).**

**Chapter Four, Part One: Dare Night  
**

**P.S. I don't own One Tree Hill.  
**

**P.P.S Thanks to SweetLilloz for her work ;)  
**

The last bell of the day rang out inside the halls of Tree Hill High, signalling the end of another school day; the hallways were suddenly filled with students rushing to their lockers; among them, were ten who were going to find a surprise soon…

"I tell you man, I thought those two cops chicks were going to kill me!"

"Just say that you were scared, Tim" Nathan sighed as he finished the combination to his locker, wondering how, in the past, he never realized how much Tim could be bore someone.

"Hey Nate, what's that silver letter there?" asked Tim, and Nathan stared at the letter standing on top of his books.

"You too?" turning to his left, Nathan saw Lucas, holding an identical letter in his hands.

"This looks like…"

"Brooke" Lucas completed, sighing.

…

"So, how are you dealing with being poor, Brooke?" asked Peyton as she, Brooke and Haley left the class.

"Ugh! Don't mention it, P. Sawyer! This is the worst week, ever! You see this top? I've worn it twice already! I'm going crazy!"

"Come on, Tigger, I'm sure everything will be fine…what's this?"

"A letter?" Brooke smirked, her financial troubles forgotten at the hint of a new gossip "My, my Tutor Wife, it seems you have an admirer, I wonder if we should warn Hotshot about it…wait, one for me, too? Peyton, did you find a…?"

"A silver letter in my locker?" the blonde teenager asked holding up an identical one to her friends.

"And it seems we aren't the only ones to whom it was directed" commented Haley, noticing Lucas and Nathan staring at them, especially at Brooke.

"What?" she exclaimed "This isn't my idea!"

…

Michael walked out of the classroom, stretching his body tiredly: it had been a long week, working at the Café and helping Peyton and Karen at the soon-to-be-opened club, but hey, at least he was earning some money now, and had, at the same time, had the chance to bond more with what was, in a way, his new "family".

He kept walking absent-mindedly, until he noticed a group of students standing near the entrance, all confused; upon closer inspection he noticed they where his friend and well...Tim.

Michael smirked as he remembered what happened at Nathan's bachelor party _That was real fun_,_I can't believe he really believed that those two were strippers! _Shaking his head, he shifted his attention to Lucas.

"What's going on, Luke?"

"I have no idea, man, but it's related to this" his brother answered, showing a silver letter, identical to the ones held by the others with the name 'Lucas' written of it.

"Where did you find these…oh" he stopped as he found the same type of letter inside his locker, his name written on the front. "I guess this answers my question, but still…what's going on here?"

"I can answer that, my friends" a smug voice talked, and a Hispanic-looking guy reached them, a cocky grin on his face; Michael frowned, annoyed_Felix…I hate this guy_he thought, remembering how they first met.

*************The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

_Nathan and Michael were walking towards the school garden, when they noticed Brooke and Haley talking to a tanned boy, with short, spiked hair._

"_Do you know him, Nathan?"_

"_Never seen him before, he must have just moved here" Nathan answered_

"_So I'm not the only new guy around here anymore? That's great, although, it seems Brooke doesn't like him much" Michael commented, and indeed, Brooke was shouting at the guy, her face distorted with disgust and rage "Should we help her?"_

"_There's no need" Nathan said, with a smirk on his face "You never saw Brooke's epic outbursts; trust me, you don't want to get on her bad side"_

"_Interesting" Michael's smile matched Nathan's "Well, let's get closer, just in case"_

_As they got closer to the trio, Nathan's expression changed drastically when the boy turned to Haley, a flirtatious smile on his lips; grimacing, he walked faster, followed by Michael, the conversation perfectly audible by now._

"_Hi, nice to meet you" greeted Haley, holding a hand to the newcomer._

"_Girl, you are totally fine." He said, eyeing her appreciatively, which made Haley's hand drop._

_"__Dude I'm totally married."_

"_Really?" asked the boy, surprised, but amused "Who's the father?"_

"_Behind you" Brooke pointed to Nathan and Michael, who were now behind the boy, her smile suggesting that she was hoping for the new guy to be beaten up._

_"Little close aren't you?" Nathan's voice was cold._

_"__Oh, guess it's you. Felix Tagarro, a pleasure to meet you" he was about to offer his hand to them, but noticed Nathan's stern expression, and laughed "C'mon, man! I was just exchanging a few words with your wife; by the way, congratulations: she is a sex…"_

"_If you care of your face, I wouldn't complete that sentence" suggested Michael, his hands tucked in his jeans' pockets "You know, my little brother's patience is already at his limits"_

"_Oh, please let him finish it then, Illusive Boy" Brooke commented "I'd love to see this jerk's ass kicked."_

"_My, my, so violent…I like that in a girl" Felix kept grinning "But, hearing you nicknaming other guys…should I be jealous?"_

"_Pu-lease!" Brooke scoffed "As if I would ever even think of letting you touch me."_

"_You never know" Felix got closer to Brooke, whispering to her ear "I can be pretty persuasive, you see…"_

"_I agree: in fact, you're really persuading us in beating the crap out of you" not noticed by anyone, Lucas had joined the group, glaring at Felix._

"_You too?" the tanned boy laughed again "Man, I guess Tree Hill is really a small place, isn't it? Chill out, guys, no need to be so territorial" he walked away, still laughing._

*********The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*********

Everyone took a seat, waiting for Felix to explain the meaning behind the silver letters; Mouth, Skills, Junk and Furgie had joined the group; they have received the same letters, as well.

"It's called dare night" Felix broke the silence "1 night. 2 teams. Multiple dares. Each envelope contains a two part dare; the team that, at the end of the night, has completed more dares wins"

"And if we don't want to take part?" asked Brooke, her voice annoyed.

"She's right" Lucas nodded, staring at Felix "It's not like we're friends"

"Because it's a chance to challenge your fears and to show your true colours to others" Felix answered, and was looking intently at both Lucas and Brooke "But, of course, I'm not forcing anyone to join against his, or her, will; you're free to leave. So, who is in?"

"I am" Peyton dropped her letter on the table.

"Me too" said Haley.

Nathan gave his wife a funny look then, shaking his head, dropped his letter.

"Sounds fun" Michael left his letter on top of the others.

"I'm in, dawg" was Skills' answer, followed by Mouth, Furgie and Junk the only one remaining were Brooke and Lucas.

A letter fell with the others; it looked different, white, creased, with 'Tim' scribbled on; everyone stared at Tim, dumbfounded.

"What? I want to participate too!" he whined.

"Ok, you can take part" Felix said between the laughs "But only if Lucas and Brooke join too"

The two stared at each other, then Brooke nodded, and both of them dropped their letters on the table.

"Perfect" Felix leaned on his chair, satisfied "Now, for the team: we will have boys versus girls, plus me" he said.

"Oh, how considerate of you!" Brooke's voice dripped sarcasm.

"Girls will be outnumbered" said Nathan glaring at this Felix guy: if looks could kill, well they wouldn't be having this problem.

"I am more than enough to help the girls to win this game, but you may have a point, since I didn't consider Tim…"

"I won't play in the same team of 'Dim', thank you very much" Brooke interrupted him.

"Me either" agreed Peyton.

"Hey!" protested Tim "I warn you girls that when the Tim man is pumped up, he can…"

"Just say 'you'll see when we win the game', Tim" said Nathan, bored already.

"I wasn't suggesting Tim for our team" resumed Felix, turning his head to Michael "But…what about the recently discovered Scott brother?" he asked.

"Illusive Boy, uh? I'm fine with it."

"Me too" said Haley, followed by Peyton "Me three…after all, it wouldn't be fair to have three Scott's in the opposing team"

"So, are you going to join our team, Michael?" asked Felix, a strange smile on his lips.

_What's his plan? _Michael wondered, then he shrugged "Count me in"

"So, when do we start?" this time, it was Mouth who spoke.

"It starts now…the first dare is up to Lucas" said Felix; Lucas opened his letter, and read the first line "Go and open the unnamed locker at the school"

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Thirty minutes later, they were back at the school, and Lucas found some female clothes and a card "Your first dare is…to return these clothes to the respective stores…while _wearing _them"

"Woah man!" Tim exclaimed, while Skills and the rest of the River court gang laughed.

"You think you can do it?" asked Nathan.

"Yes, I can…and you know why? Because I want to win this game, and rub it into Felix's face" Lucas smiled as he bumped fists with Nathan.

"Well said, but, unfortunately, I can't let you, sorry big and little bro" Michael reached them, grinning "As much as I can't stand that Felix guy, we're going to win this, deal with it."

"As usual, you are way too cocky, Mike" Lucas smirked while Nathan shook his head, amused.

"We'll see who's going to stand at the end of the night…see you later, middle brother…have fun" he said, patting Michael's shoulder before following Lucas and the rest of their team.

"Enjoy yourselves, guys!" shouted Michael, and then he walked towards Brooke, Peyton, Haley and Felix, who were discussing how the team would split up.

"Figures" scoffed Brooke, reading her letter "I'm with Felix…why that doesn't surprise me?"

"Come on Brooke, try to have some fun" suggested Peyton, who was desperately trying not to laugh "So…I guess Haley and I will go with Michael"

"Can't we switch?" pouted Brooke.

"Hell no" said her friends in unison.

"Aww, you know, that hurts, right here" said Felix mockingly, pointing at his heart.

"Ah, ah, very funny" Brooke fake laughed "Ok let's get this start, the quicker we start the quicker this farce ends."

"Wait, Brooke, I've got something to say to Felix…in private" Michael said, and the three girls took some distance, leaving the two young men to face each other.

"What's up, man?"

"I'll cut it short" Michael stared at the tanned boy, his glaze glacial "I don't know what you're scheming, but I warn you; if you try anything that would upset Brooke…"

"Are you perhaps jealous?" asked Felix, a smirk on his face.

"Not at all" the brown haired boy denied calmly "But Brooke, as well as Peyton are important people to my brothers and Haley, so, in a way, they are a kind of family to me…and I don't want to see them hurt"

"Because you are the 'family before all' until the end, right?" this time, Felix's tone implied that he knew something.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Michael, his voice harsh now.

"Nothing man…let's just try to have a fun night, how about it?" Felix offered his hand to Michael, who pushed it off.

"As Lucas said…we're not friends" he said, walking to the girls.

"Is everything ok?" asked Haley.

"Sure it is" Michael smiled "Let's start with the first dare girls!"

Felix watched Michael, Peyton and Haley leave, a smug smile as he recalled what happened a couple of weeks ago.

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_Felix was talking to Mouth; he seemed a nice guy, and fully aware of what was happening in Tree Hill High, and what Felix needed, right now, was all the info he could get , especially about a certain brunette girl…_

"_So, Haley's Lucas' best friend, and she had recently married Nathan, while Lucas had dated both Brooke and Peyton." He resumed the rumours he had heard._

"_More or less" Mouth said, uncomfortable; he wasn't going to tell the details of the love triangle that had exploded a few months ago: after all, Lucas was one of his best friend, no matter how much he had screwed up in that particular situation._

"_What about the new guy, Michael? I heard he is Lucas and Nathan's half-brother" when Mouth nodded, he asked "Is He dating some girls? Is he interested in Brooke, or…"_

"_**You **__seem pretty much interested in Brooke" Mouth noted: Felix has made him countless questions about her, after all._

"_Nah, man…Just curious, that's all" Felix lied, cursing himself: he didn't expect Mouth to be so smart._

"_Uh huh…" the school's sport reporter nodded, unconvinced "Well, I've got a class to go to now, see you later…about Michael, no one knows much about him, except Lucas and Nathan, maybe"_

_Scratching the back of his head, Felix watched Mouth walking away, thinking deeply…he had always been good to read people, thus gaining a leverage to use against them, but he had problems in figuring out Michael…that, together to the lack of info about him, could be a problem, especially if he was indeed interested in Brooke…damn, why he couldn't take that girl out of his head?_

"_I can tell you something about Michael, if you want, pretty boy" said a voice behind him; turning, Felix saw a sexy tall girl, with blonde, reddish hair, and intense ruby eyes; he smirked "And who are you, sexy?"_

"_Please, leave your flirting to the school girls, I'm only talking with you because you could be useful, nothing more."_

"_I'm listening"_

_The girl started talking, and, when she finished, Felix was smirking: that was just what he needed. "So, what do you need from me?"_

"_I need you to create the opportunity for me to meet Michael, but he can't alone…that way, it will be more difficult for him to shake me off"_

"_I can do that…but what do I gain from it?"_

"_I can keep Michael away from your plans with that brunette cheerleader"_

"_Brooke? Who told you I have plans for her? Besides, Michael isn't interested in her?"_

"_Are you sure? Because I saw him having great time with her and her blond friend, a week ago…and please, don't think you can kid me: I've been observing all of you for almost a month…you __**want **__that girl"_

"_All right" Felix said "I'll help you…so, since we're partners, now, you could tell me your name"_

"_Sure thing" the girl smiled "I'm…"_

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Felix snapped from his memory when he heard Brooke's voice.

"Come on, I want to finish it as soon as I can, hurry up!" she shouted, heading outside the school.

"I'm coming" Felix answered, following her, while making a text on his cellphone _All done, you'll find him with two girls at the shopping mall, in a half an hour, or at the church, in a couple of hours _he sent the text, and grinned.

_Have fun, Scott._


	8. Chapter 4, Part 2

**The Third Scott Brother**

**Chapter Four Part Two: Dare Night  
**

**Hi everyone! As promised, here's the second part of chapter four! I hope to post the third part during next week ;)  
**

"I've got a bad feeling about this whole dare night…I wonder what that Felix guy is planning" said Nathan as he and Tim were lying on two parallel beds, waiting for the special massage that was part of their dare.

"C'mon Nate, that guy is a genius, this night is gonna be awesome" Tim grinned, barely able to contain his excitement: as soon as Nathan had read the first dare, he had raced to the parlour, sure that their "special" involved something erotic.

"Yeah right" Nathan muttered, sarcastically "Tim, Felix is just an arrogant jackass, you shouldn't trust him".

"I don't understand you, Nate, why do you hate Felix so much? After all, you used to be a lot like him in the past, didn't you? In fact, the Nathan I knew would have totally enjoyed things like that."

"Well 'the Nathan you used to know' is here no longer; he has decided to grow up a bit"

Tim turned his head, confused "That's why you can't stand Felix? That's crap, Nate; we are all the same, deep down; look at your brothers we all called him Saint Lucas in the past, and then he screwed over Peyton and Brooke…"

"That's was just a mistake, and Lucas has made amends for…wait, you said 'brothers'? What do you know about Michael?" Nathan asked, suspicious.

"I don't know anything, I just heard Felix saying something about it…"

"What did he say?"

"I don't really know Nate, I was just passing by…look; they've arrived!" Tim whispered excitedly, when two masseuses opened the door and got in the room.

Nathan sighed, it was most likely that Tim had no idea of what Felix was implying, but it surely meant that he was cooking something against Michael…

""Who is going to be the first?" asked one of the two girls.

"Me! Me!" shouted Tim, raising his hand, making Nathan chuckle_He never changes…_the black haired boy leaned his head on the bed, watching the girls approaching his friend's body, applying hot wax on him_Wait, what?_

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Tim screamed in pain, and Nathan realized that the "special" of the parlor was a full body wax! Rising up immediately "Hell no" he said in response to the girls' questioning stares, and rushed out of the room and, sighing in relief, checked the silver card, looking for the next dare: as soon as he read it, he grimaced _I'm really going to kick that punk's ass._

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"Here we are" said Peyton as she paid the cashier and picked the plastic tray with the five pickled eggs that she, Haley and Michael had eat in order to clear their first dare.

"Michael, get near Peyton, so we can take a picture as a proof"

"At your orders, sis-in-law" Michael grinned and reached Peyton, holding together the tray.

"Ok guys…say cheese…my, you look like such a cute couple!" Haley ignored the dirty looks that both Michael and Peyton threw at her, and made a photo with her cellphone "Done"

"Now we only have to eat them" Michael scratched his chin while Peyton was staring at the eggs "They don't seem really tasty" she muttered.

"You know, we could simply throw them, the others would never discover that" proposed Haley, making the blonde girl gasp in mock horror.

"Haley James Scott! We don't cheat!"

"Well, you did with Lucas" Haley joked, which made Peyton glaring at her again.

"Don't make me smack you!" she warned, while Michael was smirking amused.

"Girls, despite how much I'd love seeing you two catfight, we don't have time to lose"

"Fine" Peyton picked one of the eggs "I'll eat them" she said, and took a bite at it; she chewed for a pair of seconds, then she froze, her face twisted with disgust, and quickly grabbed a napkin and spat the food on it.

"You were saying?" asked Haley, giggling.

"Shut up" Peyton groaned _How can she possibly be always right? _"Ok, we throw them" she turned, looking for a trash can, but Michael stopped her and, surprising both girls, ate an entire egg, swallowing it with just a little irritation

"God, it really tastes bad" he commented.

"Ok, two questions" Peyton stared in disbelief at the boy "First: how the hell you managed to eat that stuff? Second, why did you make me do it first?"

"Well, to answer your second question, I just wanted to see you face while you were eating that" he laughed when Peyton scoffed "As for the first question…it's a dare night, so I would say it's just me being extremely competitive, with a mix of stubbornness"

"Personally, I don't mind the reason why you can eat those eggs, as long as I don't have to eat them" said Haley, then she added "Though I must say, it was fun seeing Peyton trying to eat them"

"Quit it, both of you, or dare night will turn in murder night" Peyton handed the eggs to Michael "They're all yours, enjoy them"

"Thank you, but, I was thinking…are you up for a little dare on our own, me against the two of you?" suggested Michael.

"What do you mean?" asked Peyton.

"What about, every egg I eat gains me a credit to use, for example, to make one of you clear a particular dare of this list, or to ask any kind of question, that has to be answered; however, if I can't eat all the eggs, you'll gain credits for each egg left; we would start on par, since both me and Peyton ate one egg…what do you think?"

"We accept"

"Peyton!" protested Haley.

"Relax, Hales, he can't possibly eat three other eggs, it's impossible" the blonde winked, sure of herself "You better keep your word, Michael" she stated.

"Sure I will" answered Michael, a mischievous glint in his green eyes.

_Five minutes later…._

"Ok, I guess I was wrong" mumbled Peyton, avoiding Haley's stare; one after the other, all the three eggs were eaten by Michael, who was grinning victoriously.

"C'mon sis-in-law, don't make that kind of face, I'm not going to ask you anything particularly embarrassing" he promised as the trio walked off the shopping mall.

"Why I don't believe it?" Haley shook her head "Anyway, where are we going for the next dare?"

"To the baseball court" answered Michael "but let's not think about it, for now: I'm going to use one of my 4 credits to make a question, right now."

"Great" said Peyton, sarcastically "Let's get over with it…Michael?"

The brown-haired boy had stopped, and was staring at both the girls dead seriously.

"Is there any way to make Brooke change her mind about calling me 'Illusive Boy'?"

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_Riiing! Riiing!_

"Where are you?" shouted Brooke on Felix's phone; half an hour had passed since the hispanic boy had excused himself to the bathroom, and, by now, the brunette was fuming.

"Sorry Brooke, but now it starts your true first dare: I dare you to dine and dash

"Are you kidding? I can't do it!"

"Too bad then, because I'm sitting on a table at the Karen Café right now, and you have no money to pay all the expensive dishes that you ordered" said Felix, smirking.

"Wait, Felix…!"

"Good luck, Brooke" Felix closed the phone, raising his eyes to stare at the girl who had just reached him.

"I'm surprised to see you here" he said as the girl took a seat "Shouldn't you be at the mall right now, meeting up with Michael?"

"Relax, there's no need to rush things up…I'm going to run on him after they go to the church, which means" she stopped to check on the list of dares that Felix has set up for Michael, Peyton and Haley "that I've got more than an hour to be there"

"I see" Felix leaned his head on his right hand, grinning "Couldn't be that you're afraid of seeing your loved one with two hot girls?"

The girl remained silent for a whole minute, her mind reviewing the scene she had assisted a pair of weeks ago.

_Michael was sitting in the club, the party almost over, chatting and laughing with Peyton and Brooke; she felt the rage rampaging in her veins and, for a moment, her body moved on its own, making its towards him…but that was not the right time, she had to wait…soon, he will be hers, once again…_

"Don't over think things too much; I'm just waiting for the right moment, that's all"

"If you say so" Felix commented "Now, I suggest you to leave: Brooke will be here soon, and it's best for the both of us to not be seen together"

"I agree" the girl stood up, and started to walk away "Good luck with that little cheerleader girl" she said, leaving Felix alone.

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"That was not funny at all!" muttered Haley: the trio was going to the church for their third dare; however, Michael was still laughing for what happened few minutes ago, while Peyton was fuming.

"If you don't stop, I swear I'm going to kick your sorry ass!" she threatened.

"Really? Man, I expected a bit more gratitude after I saved your lives" Michael recalled, still smirking.

"Yeah, after you stood there watching us being hit by those stupid balls!" Peyton protested, remembering the event.

**Flashback-**

_They had arrived at the baseball field, and Michael had just read the second dare: being hit in the head by a ball._

"_You're kidding, right?" asked Haley._

"_Sorry Haley, but, nope, I'm serious: I'm using my first credit right now, so one of you two will do this dare"_

"_Fine by me" declared Peyton "Haley, get a helmet"_

"_What? Why me? It was you who agreed on this stupid bet!"_

"_Yes, but it was also me the one who ate one of those eggs, so, it's your turn now"_

"_But…fine" Haley sighed, and went to pick a helmet._

"_I'll start the automated bowler" Michael said._

_Fifteen minutes later, Haley had finally managed to being hit by a ball in the head, and was laying exhausted on the ground._

"_Here, hold my hand" Peyton had reached Haley to help her to stand up, when a ball hit her on her back._

"_Ouch! The bowler is still on!" new balls were fired towards the girl, hitting both of them "Michael, turn that damn thing off!"_

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"Ok, I'm sorry" Michael admitted when they reached the church "I promise I'll make up for it"

"Just read the next dare" Peyton said, and Haley nodded.

"Well, let's see…go to the confessional, and say what's written in the fourth card" Michael picked the card on his pocket, showing it to the girls.

"Ok, Felix is really a jerk"

"I could beat him up for you, Hales" Michael winked.

"Please do, you, Nathan and Lucas have wanted to kick his ass since the first time you saw him" Peyton run an hair through her hairs "I'll do it?"

"Are you sure, Peyton?" asked Haley.

"Yes, I can't wait to see the face of the priest" Peyton grinned as she took the card from Michael, and headed to the confessional.

Michael and Haley took two seats in the middle of the empty church, both immersed in their thoughts.

"How's the marriage going?" Michael broke the silence, his voice a whisper.

"Fine, at least for now…"Haley answered "Of course, we have many expenses to deal with but, thanks to Keith, Nathan's got a good enough job at the dealership; so, adding the money from me working at the Café, we're holding up"

"Keith seems like a good man"

"He is" Haley said softly "I've known him since I was little: for Luke, he's like a father" she paused for a moment "have you…met him?"

"I've exchanged a couple of words at your wedding reception, but nothing more"

"Are you afraid that he's like…"

"Dan? No, from what Lucas told me, I can see that they're not really similar; I'm not avoiding him, really: it's just that I didn't have much time during these last couple of weeks, with the work at the Café and at the club…"

"Well, you could have found some time after school, or work, if you had not been busy with something…else"

Michael smiled, knowing full well what Haley was referring to; after Rose, he had seen several other girls, always for a single date only soon, a voice had spurred in the school, of him being a womanizer.

"About that, I want to make clear that I've not been lying to any of these girls: I told all of them that I was interested in something not lasting."

"Sorry, it wasn't my business…"

"Don't worry Haley, I'm not angry; you're worried about me, so, if you have some questions, go ahead and ask"

"Well…it's just…I haven't known you for long, but you just don't seem 'that' type of guy, that's all"

_Because I wasn't; not before…_Shaking his head, he smiled "Let's just say, that, right now, I'm not ready to be someone's boyfriend"

"You know…if you need someone to talk with…I'm here, and not only me: you have a lot of people who are here for you, Michael"

"Thank you, sis-in-law" Michael hugged Haley briefly, then they waited for Peyton in silence; five minutes later, the blonde girl reached them.

"Are you ok?" Haley asked.

"Yes, let's go"

_She's not_Michael thought: it wasn't the first time that he noticed something awkward in Peyton (they had passed a lot of time together during the past days, while working together, alongside with Karen, for the opening of the club) but he decided to don't push the matter, right now.

As the three walked out of the church, Peyton asked "So, we have completed the dares?"

"Yup, it's time to head to the Café" Michael answered.

"I'm curious to see how the others did" Haley wondered.

"Personally, I wouldn't put it past Brooke to have killed Felix"

"Damn the girl always steals my fun" Michael joked, feigning disappointment.

"Well, you always find other ways of having fun, don't you, Michael?" a voice behind them asked.

Michael froze; he knew that voice: it was a voice that haunted his dreams, a voice that made his heart beat faster, a voice that caused contrasted feelings to swell in him.

Peyton and Haley stared worried at the brown haired boy "Michael, what's going on?" Haley whispered.

"Come on, Michael, don't you introduce me to your new friends?" the voice asked.

Holding his breath, Michael turned around, his eyes landing upon a woman that he knew very well, her ruby eyes shining in the night, reddish blond hair moved by the wind.

_Sarah._


	9. Update before new chapter

**Update before releasing the new chapter (pretty soon ;))**

**Hi guys! I'm sorry for the delay but I've been wrapped up in a lot of borying, time-taking exams (luckily, next week it's the last, at least until September)  
**

**However, I've finally finished writing the last part of Dare Night; all that's left is fixing some words mistakes and sentences, and I will upload it ;)  
**

**Also, I've decided that, from the next chapter, I will post the state of it in my profile, so all of you will know, more or less, the percentage of completion :D  
**

**See you soon with "Dare Night", Part 3!  
**


	10. Chapter 4, Part 3

**So guys, as promised, here's the new chapter, I hope that all of you will like it :D**

**For tvaddict1992: thank you, I have just noticed that I have ended almost all of my chapters with cliffhangers, which it wasn't intentionally *lol* Thank you, and, about the pairings, just now that a lot of time will pass before discovering who's ending up with whom ;)  
**

**For The Elder King: thank you, i hope you'll continue to appreciate the story :D  
**

**Now, no more waste of time, here's the chapter!  
**

**The Third Scott Brother Chapter Four, Part Three: Dare Night**

_New York, 14 months ago._

"_Ladies and gentleman, tonight was a memorable night for the Manhattan East Side High Lions! Tonight, we witnessed the birth of a star here, a.k.a. Michael Bayle! On his debut game, with the number 35, this sophomore has led the Lions to an overwhelming victory with 27 points, 6 assists and 9 rebounds! We can be sure that with him, next year we will compete for the State Finals!"_

_The voice of the enthusiastic commentator kept roaring throughout the gym while two teams were moving back to the locker rooms; among them was, Michael who was flashing a wide grin as he admired the scene. The school gym was filled with nearly a thousand students, and they were all chanting his name; he was on cloud nine sure, he had always been confident of himself, but he didn't expected that his first game would be so triumphant. _

_Over the past year he and his mother had lived in various towns across the East Coast of America. It was only now that they had moved back to New York that Michael had first his chance to join a high school basketball team._

_After enrolling at Manhattan East Side High, he didn't have much hope to play for the remainder of this year's season, as it was almost over; however, his mom had bugged him to ask for a tryout, and luck had been on his side; the team was short on one anm after one of the starting players been injured, so the coach granted Michael a chance…and now here he was, after one hell of a game._

_As he stood on the court, watching the people slowly heading towards the exit, he noticed that a girl was walking towards him, his heart stopped; even though he had transferred just a little while ago, there was no way that he couldn't not recognized Sarah Heart. She had straight strawberry blonde hair, ruby eyes and a pale skin, and the body of a top model, she was the most beautiful girl at the school; and she also happened to be captain of the cheerleaders, as well as one of the honor roll students, aiming to be the valedictorian at the end of the year._

_Being the one who ruled the school, it was Sarah who decided the who's who, of East Side High, no one could rival her; not that anyone tried.__As she came closer to him, Michael smiled flirtatiously; it didn't matter who she was, he was going to be himself, and if she didn't like that, well that was her problem not his._

"_Nice game, Bayle; I'm really impressed." she said, acting like her praise was a big __honor__; her eyes widened when Michael whistled, eyeing her body before answering._

"_Thanks" he stated then smirked. "By the way, I'm really impressed as well, nice body, I wonder how you keep yourself in such an amazing shape."_

_Sarah stayed silent for a moment, taken aback by Michael's behavior: clearly, she wasn't expecting a reaction like that; however, she quickly regained her composure and, flashing him a seductive smile._

_"Aww, thank you baby; as for my secret, well, you know, I do a lot of special…exercises…to look this good." she finished, winking at him._

_Michel chuckled, having understood the innuendo "Interesting, I'd like to see your training sessions…perhaps I could learn something" he teased back._

"_Oh, I'm pretty sure you could" Sarah took a step forward, placing an hand on her left hip, playing with her hairs with the other "But I warn you that I'm a very strict teacher."_

"_Nothing to worry about it" Michael's smile was even wider now "I'm an hard worker."_

"_That's good to know" Sarah was interrupted some of the cheerleaders were calling her "It seems it's time to go…see you around, Michael, and remember" suddenly, she closed the distance between them "You've got my attention now" she whispered in his ear, then she headed towards her friends._

_Michael grinned as he watched Sarah walking away: he didn't know that he had just met the girl that was at the same time the first love of his life, and the one person that he hated the most._

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"Michael? Are you alright?"

Haley's voice snapped out Michael from his memories; he looked up to find, Peyton and Haley were watching him with worried looks on their faces, while Sarah was standing there, smiling.

"Well, well, it seems you must have missed me a lot, Michael to be at loss of words isn't usual for you, is it?" she commented, and her voice had the effect of a cold shower; the confusion he felt vanished, and was replaced by anger.

"What are you doing here, Sarah? This far away from New York, I mean" he asked, his voice full of venom.

"Why, I'm here to see you of course after all, you didn't answer any of my calls in the last six months honey"

"And you didn't think that the reason I didn't answer your calls was that I didn't want to talk to you? And, by the way, I think that I made myself clear even before moving back to Charlotte, I don't want anything to do with you anymore, we're over."

"I know what you said, but I thought that you needed someone after…"

"Are you seriously going to say that, really?" he asked, a smile on his lips; but it was an emotionless one, there was also an incredulous look in his eyes.

"Michael" Sarah started, taking a deep breath "You may not believe me, but I'm truly sorry for what happened to your moth…"

"Cut the crap Sarah" Michael's voice was harsh when he interrupted her "You didn't like her, and, more importantly, she didn't like you, so no need for you to keep going with this farce." he finished, giving Peyton and Haley a nod "I think it's time to meet up with the others."

Haley nodded, and both she and Peyton started following Michael when Sarah grabbed his arm "We aren't done yet! You know, you're a hypocrite! If memory serves, I remember that your mother's dislike for me didn't stop you from dating me!"

"Well, that just proves that I was an idiot back then, because there's no way in hell that I'd make the same mistake again."

Sarah scoffed "Please…you can delude yourself all you want, but the truth is that you love me Michael, and that won't change, no matter how much you try to forget me with skanks like her" she eyed Peyton "or that brunette cheerleader friend of hers."

"Excuse me?" Peyton interrupted the conversation, glaring at Sarah "What did you just call me?"

"You heard me, I called you and your friend skanks…is something wrong?"

Peyton let out a fake laugh, her eyes shining with a murderous light "Nothing at all…just me going to kick your ass, bitch" she then moved to hit Sarah, but Michael stepped between them.

"Can you leave me alone with her for a while?" he asked.

"Sure" Haley anticipated Peyton's answer, dragging the furious blonde along with her "We will wait for you at the next corner" she said, and Michael nodded, mouthing a silent 'thank you' as the two girls left, Peyton still throwing dirty looks at Sarah, who smirked amused.

"She's a feisty one" she commented, referring to Peyton "I'm not surprised you're intrigued by her."

"There's nothing between Peyton and I," said Michael, folding his arms across his chest.

"Oh, does that mean you have the hots for that Brooke girl? My, my you have a thing for head cheerleaders, huh? Either way, I don't really care, because at the end, you will be back with me."

Michael sighed annoyed; half a year later, nothing had changed at all she was still sure that nothing had changed that they were still the people they had been back in New York. She may be but he certainly was not.

"It truly seems that you don't understand the situation, Sarah" he stopped for a moment before continuing, his voice harsher than before, his face muscles twisted by rage "I don't want to see you ever again. I. Hate. You."

Sarah didn't look the least bit phased by what he had said; smiling, she suddenly leaned on him, their bodies close to each other; Michael tried to step back, but his legs weren't doing what his brain was telling them to. It was like he was actually stuck in mud or something to that effect.

"It's useless Michael; you're like an open book to me; your words mean nothing, because I can see your heart." she whispered in his ear, and the brown-haired body hated himself for not pushing her off.

But he couldn't do it; despite his words, and his feelings, there was still a part of him that craved her, that needed her; when Sarah realized that he wasn't going to make any move, she giggled.

"See, I told you so, you and I are meant to be together, Michael Bay…sorry, it's Michael Scott now, isn't it?"

"I see that you're the same bitch as always." he shot back, his green eyes locked into her ruby ones.

"That's one of the reasons you love me, and don't deny it; you know it's true." Sarah's smile was victorious as she moved to kiss Michael; their lips were almost touching when two images came into the boy's head.

_He was standing in front of a dark red door, the rain pouring on him, but he didn't care; his mind was blank, his heart broken; it wasn't only the raindrops that were wetting his cheeks._

_Three days later, he had just entered through the same door, and was drinking a glass of water in a small kitchen, until an opened letter near the trash can picked his attention; dropping to his knees, he took it and started reading it: a second later, the glass that he was holding crushed on the floor._

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"Damn you Haley, why did you drag me with you? I wanted to kick that bitch's ass!" Peyton was still fuming: after having confessed that she had taken drugs to the priest (instead of fulfilling that stupid dare, but not one was going to find that out) she wasn't in her best mood, and that Sarah had totally flipped her off.

"First off, it was Michael that stopped you, not me; second, I think that there was already enough tension there without you starting a catfight."

"That's because you weren't the one who was called skank; the bitch's lucky that Brooke wasn't with us."

"I'll agree with you on that." Haley deadpanned as her mind pondered the consequences that the brunette's presence would have brought; she then stared at the two figures facing each other, just slightly visible in the dark night "It seems they have a lot of issues to deal with."

"No shit Sherlock" Peyton observed Michael and Sarah as well, deep in thought "I noticed that there was something bothering Michael, apart what happened to his mother and the discover y of who his father is."

"Same…but what's nagging me now is that she wasn't the least surprised to see us there…it looked like…"

"She was expecting us to be here?" completed Peyton "Well, maybe she was stalking us, it wouldn't surprise me, since she seems to know all about Michael's friends here in Tree Hill."

"It could be, but I have a feeling that…what's going on?" Haley exclaimed shocked, and Peyton let out a gasp of surprise when she saw Sarah and Michael entwined.

"They look like they're going to…" Haley's words died when Michael's voice echoed in the deserted streets as he stopped and stepped back; when Sarah tried to touch him, he brushed her off.

"Take that bitch" Peyton smiled evilly "Nice move Michael."

"I don't think that this was Michael's plan: my guess is that a part of him wanted to kiss her, but at the end he changed his mind." Haley pointed out as Michael and Sarah started arguing, their voice rising.

"Way to ruin my fun, Hales." Peyton muttered: once again, why did she have to be always right? The sudden lack of noise caught both the girl's attention: all of a sudden, both Michael and Sarah were silent.

"Looks like that conversation's over." Haley pointed at their friend who was walking towards them "And he doesn't seem to be ok."

Peyton nodded, worried unlike before, Michael looked shocked, his face pale white; when he reached them, he simply said "Sorry for this."

"Nothing to apologize for" Haley hesitated for a moment "Are you ok?" she asked, followed by Peyton.

"Yeah, you look like you have seen a ghost"

"Don't worry about it; I'm just surprised to find her here, nothing more"

"Are you sure?" Peyton didn't need an answer to her question, knowing that Michael was lying: he wasn't like that when they left him with Sarah, nor he looked like that while the two were arguing; something must have happened in the final moment the discussion…but what?

Michael smiled sadly "If I said yes, you still wouldn't believe me, would you?"

"Of course I wouldn't believe you, since you're such a bad liar."

"Was it because you found out how she tracked you down?" asked Haley, and Michael laughed bitterly.

"No…I mean, I have a guess of how she knew that we were at the church, and honestly, it doesn't surprise me. Look" he stopped, since they were near Karen's Café "Please, don't tell anybody about Sarah for tonight…I don't want to ruin the night."

"You'll have to give up on the two favours we still owed you" joked Haley, trying to light up Michael's mood.

"And don't forget that you still owe us one, mister" added Peyton "What?" she asked Haley, who were staring at her funnily "I _ate _that damn egg, I'm not going to let it go to waste!"

Michael laughed again, but this time it was a true one "I've forgotten about the dare points...but it's ok, I'll fulfil your one wish."

"Perfect. I think we can meet up with the others then."

"Wait" Haley and Peyton looked towards Michael "I need some time alone…tell the others to start without me."

"Are you sure? If you want, we can tell Lucas, or Nathan…"

"Thank you Haley, but I just need a few minutes with myself."

It was Peyton the first one to agree with Michael's request; she knew that, sometimes, a person needed to be alone with his/her thoughts

"Come Hales, let's go." she said; Haley took some times to make up her mind but, finally, decided to follow her blonde friend.

Michael watched them heading to the café, his smile fading as Sarah's last words echoed in his mind.

_It can't be true._

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"Finally guys, I was dying of boredom here!" Brooke let out a sigh of relief when Peyton and Haley reached them "Wait…where's Michael?"

"Um, he's here, he just needs some time to think" explained Peyton, already knowing that this was just going to pick up Nate and Luke's concern.

"Did something happen?" asked Lucas.

"N-nothing happened" answered Haley, but her voice wasn't really convincing, and Nathan had already stood up when Felix spoke.

"Relax guys, I'm sure that it's nothing serious…right girls?" he asked, a strange smile on his lips, and something snapped inside Peyton's head.

_You son of a bitch! _There was no doubt, that's how Sarah knew that Michael was at the church! For a second, she was about to reveal all to Lucas and Nathan, but then she remembered the promise she and Haley had made to Michael, and decided to keep her mouth shut.

That however was a bad move, Nathan who had already suspected that Felix was cooking up something against his brother after his talk with Tim, was glaring at the Hispanic boy; he was about to say something when his phone rang, and, checking it, he found a message from Michael, saying _I'm fine, I'll talk with you and Luke tomorrow, at the Rivercourt, before school_.

Nathan showed the text to Lucas, and, after exchanging a glance, the two brothers decided to let the matter go...for no. They could always beat Felix tomorrow, after all.

_-A while later-_

The tension in the group started to disappear while each team counted up the points they had earnt. After Mouth, Skills and Furgie had showed the 'Dangerous Beast' they had stolen from the zoo, a turtle. The teens found they had tied.

"It seems we are stuck on a draw…well, here's the tie breaker" Felix picked two cards from his pocket and handed one to Brooke, and one to Nathan.

"Kiss a member of your team" read Brooke.

"C'mon, dwag, that ain't fair!" protested Skills.

"In my defence, I will say that I couldn't have guessed beforehand that we would end up with a tie: just call it the twist of fate."

"A fate that, happens to give you an advantage, what a _coincidence_." commented Peyton, disgusted.

"I take it you won't kiss me, Blondie; and since Haley is happily married…I guess the end of this game is up to Brooke."

The group fell in silence as all were waiting for Brooke's decision; smiling the brunette leaned towards Felix, ready to kiss him, but, suddenly, she hurried to Peyton and kissed her quickly on her lips, giggling.

"AWESOME!" shouted Tim, whose eyes were nearly popping out of his head.

"Thank you, Dim" Brooke stared at the boys

"I guess none of you has any complaints?" she asked with a smug look on her face knowing exactly what Felix had wanted the minute she read out the card.

"Not at all" Skills smiled "It's yah win, baby gurl."

"You earned the points" said Nathan.

"Sorry, but that can't be allowed" Felix brought the silence back to the table.

"Wow, you really suck at losing." Lucas's voice dripped sarcasm.

Peyton was the only one who noticed that Michael had entered the café; an idea popped in her mind, and she whispered fast in Brooke's ear, who grinned.

"So, how's the game going?" asked Michael as he sat on a chair "What?" he asked, when Peyton and Brooke got closer to him and, without saying a word, both girls kissed him on either cheek

"Is that enough for you, Tagarro? We can keep going, if you want," Peyton winking.

"I surely wouldn't mind going further" Michael smirked though he was still brooding over _the whole Sarah thing_, the two kisses surely had improved his mood, especially because he could see just how much it annoyed Felix. It was clear to all in the room that he had a serious thing for Brooke.

"Fine, those kisses plus Brooke's one with Peyton, gives us the point lead" Felix declared, trying his best to hide his feelings although he was pretty sure that Scott Brothers knew exactly what he as after. As the girls started celebrating their victory, a lone figure was standing outside Karen's Café, her ruby eyes shining of jealousy.

_You will pay for that, bitches, both of you! He's MINE! _


	11. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I'm here with the new chapter of the TTSB! It's settled in Episode 2xo6, "We Migh As Well Be Strangers", hope you all like it! ;)**

**To tvaddict1992: I'm glad you liked it, as for Michael and Sarah's story, well, there will be a lot of twists and drama :D  
**

**To Isabel Camilla Scott: there will be a lot of drama, but, for now, Michael won't have a serious love story, since he still has serious issues of his past to deal with.  
**

**To wez: of course I won't giving up, I enjoying writing this story, and I hope you all will keep enjoying reading it :D  
**

**To TvD 96: Thank you, and, rest assured, there will be a lot of clashes between Sarah, Brooke and Peyton ;)  
**

**Now, here's the chapter!  
**

**The Third Scott Brother, Chapter Five  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill  
**

**Special thanks to Sweetlilloz for her beta-readin work ;)  
**

The Rivercourt was deserted, a dim light shining on the court when Lucas arrived, though the blonde boy wasn't the least surprised, since he was twenty minutes earlier then when he was supposed to meet up with Nathan and Michael, but he wasn't disappointed. This way, he had some time alone to think about the things that had happened last night.

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_They were all together, right after Brooke and Peyton had kissed Michael, gaining the point leverage for their team; for Lucas' team to achieve a win, it was necessary that one of them had had a making out with a stranger in a photo-booth._

_Lucas moved his hand to pick the photo of him and Anna in his back pocket, but then, the memories of the night passed together (their meeting at the shopping mall, with him giving back women's clothes, the talking, and flirting while digging for money in the water fountain), and he made the decision to not show them._

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Lucas smiled as he saw the sun rise, slowly peaking over down town Tree Hill, across the river from where he was, a brilliant pink hue settled on the court, in the early morning haze. He still wasn't sure what if anything could or even would happen between them, but one thing was clear, to him, Anna hadn't been just a simple dare, and he wanted to meet her again.

_Perhaps, she could make me forget about…_

"Something on your mind, big brother?"

Lucas snapped out from his thoughts, and raised his head to see Nathan walking towards him; shaking his head, he smiled.

"Nothing serious right now, Nate…" Lucas stopped, realizing someone was missing.

"where's Michael? I thought you guys were coming together, since you live a few minutes from each other."

"Yeah, that was what we agreed, but I stood there knocking on his door for ten minutes, and had no answer, so I thought he was already here."

"Well, he's not." Lucas frowned, while it hasn't passed much time since they met Michael, he knew that their brother wasn't the type to act like that.

"What the hell is going on, Luke?" asked Nathan, his face worried as well "I have a bad feeling of this."

"Honestly, I don't have a clue, but I feel the same way…did you talk with Haley? I think that she and Peyton know something about what happened yesterday."

"I did, but all she said was that Michael made them promise to keep silent about what happened…but I'm sure that Felix had something to do with this."

"Yeah that's what I thought." Lucas nodded, his dislike for the hispanic boy was increasing day by day.

"But we can't do anything, if we don't know what's going on."

"Well, we could always go to Felix and force him to spit out the truth, you know like I did with you when you joined the Ravens. Haley will kill us both but I think it would totally be worth a week on the couch." said Nathan, and Lucas laughed yes Haley James Scott would kill both her husband and best friend if they did something like that but hey, Felix was asking for it.

"As much as I'd like to see you two beating the crap out of Felix, I think it's better if you listen the truth from me, saving yousef from the wrath of Haley, Peyton and Brooke" Michael's voice interrupted Nathan and Lucas's conversation, making the two brothers jump in surprise.

"And here he is our missing man." joked Lucas, rising up to greet Michael; he noticed that his brother looked tired: possibly from not having slept a wink last night.

"Sorry for showing up late and for worrying the both of you; I decided that an early morning jog, would clear my mind."

"Don't sweat it" Nathan waved his hand "I'm more interested in you telling us what's troubling you."

"Yeah." Lucas nodded.

"Fair enough" Michael sighed, scratching the back of his head, his smile vanishing, replaced by an apprehensive look "Well…yesterday, during the dares…I ran into a girl…from my past."

"I guess it wasn't a pleasant meeting." noted Lucas, which made Michael laugh bitterly.

"You could say that, I had wanted to leave Sarah in my past, where she belongs." said Michael.

"What happened between you and this Sarah?" asked Nathan.

"But you don't have to say, if you don't want to." added Lucas, not wanting to push Michael.

"You don't have to worry, I'm fine talking about it." answered Michael _But only a part of it _whispered a voice in his head.

"When I was in New York, last year, I met this girl…Sarah Heart…she was the head cheerleader, a student on the honor roll, and the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen."

"I think I know where this story is heading," commented Lucas with a smirk before being silenced by a nudge from Nathan who just looked at him as if to tell him to shut up. "Sorry, keep talking."

"There isn't much more to add, really, we started dating, then, 7-8 months ago, we broke up, end of the story." completed Michael, but both Lucas and Nathan noticed that the brown-haired boy was hiding something.

"The decision of ending the story…was it mutual?" asked Lucas.

"Nope, 100% mine." answered Michael.

"Why?" this time, it was Nathan who spoke.

_Because she broke my heart in tiny little pieces _"Let's just say, I found out that she wasn't the person I thought she was."

"I take it that she's here in Tree Hill to try and get you back" argued Lucas.

"No, she's here because she can't accept that somebody can refuse her advances or give up on her, and because she wants to make my life a living hell, along with the people I care about, that would be the two of you as well as Brooke, Haley and Peyton. Even Skills, Mouth, Junk and Furgie have to be careful." said Michael he could tell just by the looks on his brother's faces that they were somewhat sceptical of what he was saying.

"C'mon, man, I think you're going a little over the top here"

"I'm not, Nate, because I know how she acts: she'll gather all the information she can pry about all of you, then she'll use it to screw up your lives. I'm especially worried for the girls." Michael recalled how acid Sarah sounded when she spoke about Brooke and Peyton, without considering that she could aim at Haley as well, being, in a kind of way, part of his family.

"Then, we have to do something about it." suggested Lucas, and Nathan nodded eagerly, but Michael shook his head.

"Actually, you don't have to do anything…listen" he stopped his brother's protests "I know you want to help me, but please…this is something I must deal with alone."

"Are you sure?"

"Deadly sure, Luke."

"Fine by me" Nathan nodded again "That, of course, if this Sarah doesn't involve Haley. If she does all bet are off" he warned.

"Of course." agreed Michael.

"Well then, how about we grab something for breakfast at the café, then we head to the school?" proposed Lucas.

"Come, I'll give you guys a ride" said Nathan.

"Lead the way, little brother." Michael scratched his head: better being in company then alone with his thoughts.

Lucas nodded "Sure, that way we can see just how badly you and Keith have screwed up your car." he teased.

"Shut up." Nathan punched his brother's shoulder, as they started heading to Nathan's car "By the way, you can tell me about the girl you met yesterday."

Lucas frowned again; this time slightly embarrassed "How did you find out?"

"Please, big brother, you're not good at hiding things." said Nathan but, after Lucas kept staring at him, he raised his hands in defeat "Fine, it was Haley, but that doesn't change anything; so, what's her name?"`

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Felix was walking through the school's hallway with a smug smile on his face, the day had improved a lot in the last hour, and promised to be even more interesting afternoon; he was heading back to his class when his phone started ringing.

After checking the ID, he sighed _What does she want, now? _he wondered.

"Hello?"

"_We have to talk."_

"Good day to you too, Sarah" he answered, sarcastically.

"_There's no reason to indulge in stupid compliments, you idiot; I need more info about Brooke and Peyton, ASAP."_

"Sorry, baby girl, but I think our alliance ended yesterday." Felix shot back.

"_Oh, really? You seem pretty confident, considering how badly last night ended."_

Felix frowned: it still bugged him how his clever trick to push Brooke to kiss him had turned against himself when she and Peyton kissed Michael; but, on the other hand, he had no more reason of being wary of Michael, after what happened just an hour ago.

"As I said, I don't need you anymore."

"_I don't really care if you need me or not, but that doesn't change the fact that you will give me all the details I need."_

"And what if I don't?"

"_I would accidently forget something about your dear sister."_

Felix stiffened: he hadn't expected things to turn that way "What do you know about Anna?" he asked.

"_If you want to know, send me everything you know about Brooke and Peyton: if there's something that I can use against them, tonight I'll send you a text that contains what I discovered about your sister."_

Felix wondered if he had made the right choice when he decided to join forces with Sarah; the girl sounded dangerous, but he couldn't refuse her demands, what if the thing she discovered about Anna was…

"Fine, you will have all the information you want."

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"So, you faked being the principal, to drag me out from the science class?" Lucas stared at Anna, amused: the girl seemed nervous "Anna, is something wrong?"

"I'm Felix's sister."

"Oh" _Ok, found out why she seemed nervous._

"Exactly, oh, and I can't believe he still hasn't told me anything about what happened yesterday."

"That's because he doesn't know…I didn't show the picture of us, not to Felix, or anyone else."

"Why?"

"Because it for me it wasn't just another dare."

"Me either" Anna shortened the distance between them; now whispering "I wanted to call you, but…with Felix…"

Lucas silenced her with a kiss; after a moment of surprise, Anna kissed him back.

"Right…I have to go now…see you…see you later" she whispered, quickly walking away; Lucas watched her, then he headed back to his class, smiling.

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"So, they're really doing it, huh?" asked Haley, as she and Peyton had reached Brooke's house, they knew that her parents had organized a garage sale, and wanted to give their friend some moral support. Also, they had an audition later for people to perform at the event that Peyton was organizing for Karen's club opening.

"It seems like that...poor Brooke, I hope she can get over it."

"Well, well, look who's here." Peyton followed Haley's indication, her eyes widening when she saw Felix, talking with a not so happy looking Brooke.

"What is he doing here?"

"Dunno, but Brooke doesn't looks very happy."

"Of course she isn't, look who she's talking to" commented Peyton, with far too much venom to sound casual.

"Peyton" warned Haley "Remember, we promised Michael that we wouldn't tell anyone about Sarah; that means, we can't say a word about you suspecting Felix either"

"Hales, come one: you saw Felix yesterday, it was obvious that he was the one who told that bitch where she could find Michael."

The two girls kept arguing as they headed over to Brooke. Who was too preoccupied and annoyed that Felix had come over to notice that she had sold her doll house to an old woman; by the time she realized and went to get it back it was too late, she however had found, one of the dolls that had fallen out; Brooke picked the doll up and hugged it to her chest, before heading back to where she had been, she glared at Felix before deciding to ignore him maybe then he would get the message and go away. It was then that she noticed her friends.

"Hey, Peyton, Tutor Wife, what are you doing here?"

"Giving you some support and also trying to stop you from buying back all the things that you are meant to be selling" said Peyton, Haley nodded and smirked as she noticed the doll in her friends arms.

"You know me too well, Goldilocks" Brooke smiled it hadn't passed by her that Haley had noticed the doll that she was still clutching.

"Of course I do; by the way, what was Felix doing here? Did he want to buy something, or mock you?"Peyton asked Brooke was so thrown off by the question that she started babbling incoherently.

"Oh my god! You had sex with him!" said Haley gaping at her friend Brooke looked like a deer stuck in headlights and wasn't quite sure which way she should turn.

"What? No I didn't!"

"Yes you did!" Peyton stared at her bff in disbelief.

"Ok, look: it isn't a big deal, just a…friends with benefit agreement."

"And since when are you and Felix friends?" asked Haley.

"We're not exactly friends, I mean…listen: I was depressed because of all of this money loss stuff, then, I found a photo of me and Lucas…and I just felt lonely; there isn't anything between me and Felix."

"Ok" much to Haley's surprise, Peyton nodded; after all, she still felt guilty for that love triangle between her, Brooke and Lucas "But…be careful, ok?"

Before Brooke could answer, a voice behind them talked "My, my, yesterday you kiss a boy, today you screw another…it seems I was right when I called you two skanks."

Turning to the source of the voice, the trio stared at Sarah, who was smirking evilly.

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"So, this is Dan's dealership, uh?" Michael looked around himself "and Keith is managing it, until Dan's health gets better."

"Yeah" answered Lucas, then he grinned when he spotted Nathan "and there, is our hard working brother"

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Nathan when he reached them.

"Personally, I'm here to have a talk with Keith, and to find from you why are you turning down that High Flyer offer." Michael smirked as Nathan's face tensed up.

"Not you too, Mike; Lucas has been nagging me for nearly an hour already."

"Because it's an opportunity that happens only once in a lifetime, and you're going to waste it."

"I know that, Lucas, but Haley and I can't afford a whole summer without me working, and, even if there was a way, it wouldn't be fair to Haley."

"But…"

"No buts." Nathan looked dead set "I won't go to the High Flyers, that's it."

"Leave it, Lucas." Michael interrupted Lucas "I don't think there's anything we can say to change his mind."

"Fine, I won't say anything more, but at least talk about it with Haley." when Nathan nodded, Lucas stretched his legs "Ok guys, I'm going to hang out on the Rivercourt for a while, see you later."

As Lucas walked towards the exit door, Michael looked around the dealership once again "Nathan, where can I find Keith?"

"There." Nathan pointed to a glass-enclosed office, where a well-dressed Keith was talking at the phone."

"Thanks, man, I'll leave you to your job." waving his hand, Michael headed to the office, knocking on the door when he arrived; when Keith looked up, and nodded, he opened the door.

"Hey Michael, how are you doing? We didn't have a chance to talk since…well…" Keith hesitated.

"Ever. That's why I'm here." Michael took a deep breath "Look, I may have given you the impression I was avoiding you…"

"Just an impression?" Keith chuckled when Michael smiled guilty

"Relax, it's all right, I understand that you had a lot of stuff to deal with, plus, I'm Dan's brother, so…"

Michael already knew (especially from Lucas and Haley) that Keith and Dan were polar opposites, but, hearing him say Dan, and not 'your father', helped him to calm down a lot "Well, I think I'm ready to learn more about my uncle."

Keith smiled, and picked up his car's key "Well then, why don't we grab a coffee?"

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Brooke's gaze was deadly cold on the unknown girl with strawberry blonde hair and ruby eyes; having had a terrible day, between the garage sale and the friends-with-benefit agreement with Felix (which she still had doubts about it), she was so nervous and so stressed, that she had to use every ounce of her self-control to keep herself from giving this cow a good bitch slapping.

Instead, she flashed her best fake smile she could muster, and got closer to the girl "Hello, we haven't met before; I'm Brooke Davis, the girl who's going to send you to the hospital. If you insist on calling me skank."

The girl grinned again "Why shouldn't I, hmm? I'm just stating the truth, after all."

"Ok, that's it!" Brooke raised her hand to slap the girl, but was stopped by Haley, who tried desperately to hold back her friends arms.

"Haley, let me go! I'm so going to show her just how bitchy I can be!"

"And I'm going to help you with that." added Peyton, glaring at Sarah.

"Both of you, calm down!" said Haley, still holding Brooke from jumping at the girl.

"Hmm, it seems you two haven't told your friends about little old me, hmm?"

"You know her?" asked Brooke, still trying to free herself from Haley without hurting her; Peyton snorted.

"She's Michael's ex-psychotic-girlfriend…I think the name was Sarah, right?"

"Almost emo-girl, but you mistook the part about the 'ex' "

"Oh, silly me, I must have been confused by Michael's attitude: you know, it totally looked like he hates you." Peyton shot back, sarcasm dripping in her voice.

"Wow, she's just like a Nikki 2.0" commented Brooke.

"Are you referring to the mother of Jake Jagielski's daughter?" asked Sarah, shocking the three girls.

"How do you know about Jake and Nikki?"Haley asked, not even Michael knew about Nikki it was something that happened before he got here.

"Girls, girls, girls, you have to understand something…information is leverage to use against your enemies and, right now, you are in my way."

"Michael doesn't want you." said Peyton, making Sarah's face twists in anger.

"You don't know anything about Michael!" she snapped "The Michael you three have met, is just a façade: I am the only one who knows the real him, and I won't allow anyone to stand between me and _my _man!"

"We're not standing between you and Michael" said Haley, her voice stern, it reminded Peyton and Brooke of the time when she silenced Deb at the reception they had thrown for her and Nathan.

"But we are his friends, so, if he needs us, we will be there for him, and you can't do anything to change it."

"Damn right!" exclaimed Brooke, followed by Peyton, making Sarah even more furious.

"Why you…!" she stopped when she noticed something behind Brooke, Haley and Peyton.

"What the hell are you doing here?"


	12. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone! I'm deeply sorry for this enormous delay, but I had a really rough month, between exams and reale life issues, and I didn't have the time to complete the chapter, I am really sorry :(**

**To apologize, I offer you the sixth chapter of TTSB, which will explain an important part of Michael's past; also, I have some stuff that, hopefully, you all will find interesting. The thing is, I had been thinking of giving my characters a face in which they could be identified, and I want you all to be a part of this decision.  
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**For Michael, I have chosen to use Jensen Ackles' face: I had always thought that he is a really cool actor, and I loved the brotherly scenes between him and Jared Padalecky in Supernatural, especially the funny ones.  
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**About Sarah, I have found some actresses that, in my opinion, would look good as her, but I want you all to choose, so, during the next days, I will make a poll with 4 actresses, and you will pick the one that will be officially (at least, in my ff XD) Sarah ;)  
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**Also, If any of you has some idea of who would be a good choice to portrait Martha, let me know, I'm eager to know your opinions :D  
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** tvaddict1992: I'm sorry, I made another cliffhanger and made you all wait, hope you like this one ;) As for your question, well...I can't tell your right now XD What I can say is that "my" season two will be the closest with the canon ;)  
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** wez: You'll find more about Michael in this chapter, though there's still a lot that we have to discover ;)  
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** Guest(the one who posted on 9/22): Thank you, I really appreciated it! I'm glad you like how Michael's fitting in the story, my purpose is to make him integrate naturally in the gang :D  
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**Now, with no more pauses, here's the latest chapter of The Third Scott Brother!  
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**(p.s.: this is not the complete version fo the chapter; SweetLilloz's edited one will be posted soon ;))  
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**The Third Scott Brother  
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**Chapter Six: Oppressing Memories  
**

N_ew York, 10 months ago_

"_What the hell are you doing here?" the door of Michael's room opened forcefully, slamming against the wall; the one who opened was a fuming Martha, her face twisted by shock as she saw Michael and Sarah smoking pot._

"_Miss Rose, you may leave; your presence is no longer welcome here any more" Martha said, her voice glacial; the girl grinned as she stoop up and headed to reach her purse, but Michael stopped her, squeezing her hand "Wait." _

_The smile on Sarah's lips widened in triumph, but Martha's expression didn't change: she had kind of expected this reaction. "Michael, I said she has to go, _now_" she repeated, and Michael let Sarah's hand go, not before kissing her and whispering something in her ear; still smiling, the girl passed by Martha, saying "Good Evening, Miss Bayle."_

_The elder woman didn't move, and waited_ _until she heard the noise of the front door closing to speak again "Michael, we need to talk."_

"_Do we really have to?" he asked, annoyed, and got up, turning his back to Martha, walking towards the kitchen._

"_Yes we have!" she shouted, following him "Mike, this is serious!"_

"_Mom, you are overreacting." Michael said as he opened the fridge "It was just a…"_

"_Don't say it was just one joint!" Martha slammed the fridge's door close "And you know that I'm not only referring to what happened today, but to what you're doing lately, since you're dating Sarah!"_

_Michael sighed "So, we're back at it, right? Again?"_

"_Until you open your eyes and see who she really is, I have to. She is changing you, Michael and you're not even noticing! Sometimes I don't know who you are anymore."_

"_Please, the problem isn't Sarah, you just can't accept that, maybe, I'm tired of being who I used to."_

"_Did you just hear yourself? You look like another person! That's it, you're not seeing Sarah anymore!"_

"_Say what?"_

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"I asked…what the hell are you doing here?"

Peyton, Brooke and Haley turned their head towards the source of the voice, finding a fuming Michael, whose eyes were furiously glued on Sarah; not far away, Keith was watching the scene with a worried look.

_That's not the time for dwelling in the past_ thought Michael, trying to turn his memories off _Especially if I start thinking of that damned day._

Sarah, meanwhile, quickly recovered from Michael's sudden arrival, hiding her surprise -alongside her animosity towards the girls- with a seductive smile, followed by a wink "Oh Michael dear, it seems we can't be apart from each other for too long, even if we have to bear the presence of _these girls_." she finished, staring at the trio of girls with disgust.

Brooke and Peyton scoffed at the same time, but, before either of them could shot back, Michael spoke.

"We're not here for a twist of destiny, Sarah." he answered, showing a text message on his phone "I asked some friends of mine to warn me if he happened to notice a woman matching your description; being nearby, and considering the situation, I decided to come."

"And why did you ask your basketball-addicted loser of a friend to look out for me, hmm? Oh, right, he's called Mouth, isn't he?" Sarah asked, smirking at the shocked faces of the girls, while Michael was unimpressed-he didn't surprise him that his former girlfriend was already aware of almost everything that had happened to him since he moved in Tree Hill.

"Only his friends can call him Mouth, which you're not" said Peyton.

"Aww, that's too bad, but surely it can be changed, right?" Sarah shot back, an evil smile spreading on her lips.

"Touch Mouth, and I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life." threatened Brooke.

"Calm down, girl, the only person I care for in this pathetic town is right in front of me." Sarah turned her attention back to Michael, her eyes darting to Keith for a moment "So, is he the famous Dan Scott? You two don't look much alike, honey."

Michael grimaced at the mention of Dan "Because he is not my…he is my uncle…and enough of this, Sarah; I asked you a question: what the hell are you doing here?"

"Why, I was only having a chat with these lovely girls and their habits" the blond-redhead shot a teasing glance towards Brooke, who didn't jump at her throat only because she was held down by Haley and Peyton, who had reached the conclusion that Keith and Michael's presence would in any case stop the beating that the bitch was asking for.

"Why I found it hard to believe that that's your real reason for being here? Oh wait, maybe because I know how much you love to lie." Michael's voice dripped sarcasm, but it didn't bother Sarah, who kept flashed another smile.

"Oh love, you know me so well…to be truthful, I came here for shopping." she tugged a hand on her purse, coming up with a silver heart-shaped locket.

"That's mine!" screamed Brooke "How did you get it?"

"Regularly paid at the garage sale." Sarah grinned, satisfied at seeing the younger girl's shocked and hurt expression.

"But you weren't there." pointed out Haley "How did you buy it?"

"Silly girl" Sarah waved her index finger, like she was lecturing them "A little bird told me about this sale, and I simply asked an old lady to buy that locket for me."

"You never change, do you?" asked Michael, frowning: how many times had he saw Sarah acting like this, in the past?

_And how many times did you accept it, like it was something normal? _

"That's why you love me, darling." Sarah winked again, making Peyton bursts "Wink another time, and I'll…" but she was stopped by Brooke.

"How much money do you want for the locket?" she asked.

"Save it, not even all the money of this whole world would convince me to sell this back to you…not that you have it, at the moment." Sarah smirked again, seeing as Brooke was barely trying to hold her emotions.

"What if I'm the one you have to make a deal with?" proposed Michael, perfectly aware that Sarah's aim was not only hurting Brooke, but also involving him, in one way or another.

"All in due time, Michael" Sarah reached him, whispering to his ear "I'll text you with info about when and where you and I will meet…alone this time." she walked away, greeting Keith with a nod "Good Evening, Mr. Scott."

Keith reached Michael, Brooke, Peyton and Haley, who were all dead silent "Is everything ok?"

_Quite the opposite._

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"I'm sorry for you having you involved in my problems, I know you've already a lot to deal with."

"What's going on is nothing at all your fault Michael, except for having dated a psycho bitch like her in the past."

"Point taken." Michael chuckled a bit, leaning on a wall of Brooke's house as she offered him a cup of tea.

After Sarah left, Michael had made a brief explanation of his relationship with Sarah at New York, then Keith gave Peyton and Haley a lift to Karen's pub for the auditions of the all ages night, leaving Michael and Brooke alone.

"I can see now how you could have easily guessed what was the matter with me and Peyton the first we met, at the beach." Brooke stared intently at Michael, who smiled.

"Well, I didn't guessed you had issued with one of my half-brothers." he joked.

"You know what I mean…you're heartbroken too" she stated softly "And none of us noticed."

"I am good at hiding my feelings" Michael took a sip of the cup, but stopped when Brooke made the next question.

"Were you in love with her?"

Michael sighed "I thought I was…though she was the 'one'." he answered, a note of melancholy in his voice.

"Yeah…I know the feeling." Brooke stopped for a moment "Did she…"

"Cheat on me? No, she's a manipulative bitch who loves to lie practically in every occasion, but she never hide what she is, or where her interests lie; to put it simply, she showed me that the girl I loved existed only in my head."

"I think I can understand."

"And now here I am, running away from my past and chasing girls of whom I care little, or nothing, just to don't drown in the memories."

Brooke gasped, mocking shock and offence "Are you implying that the kiss Peyton and I gave you meant nothing to you? You better be careful with your words, mister!"

"Very funny." Michael laughed "Jokes aside, I'm referring to the whole friends-no-benefits agreement, which sucks greatly-though the alternative is even less appealing-" he sighed, than he glanced at the brunette "Speaking of which, how is it going between Felix and you?"

Brooke blushed fully "Who told you? Did that jerk mention something?"

"Actually, I know nothing, I was only asking because it's crystal clear that there was something."

"Well, he isn't my boyfriend, nor my friend if that matters, just somebody I'm using to release pent-up stress."

"I never said it was something important." Michael chuckled, then checked his phone "Time to go…I promised Karen to give Peyton a hand for the auditions."

"How is going?"

"Quite good, except we need talented musicians for the exhibitions."

They reached the front door, and headed to the patio; there, Michael asked the question that was running on his mind all the time.

"Does that locket mean much to you?"

Brooke froze "Michael…"

"Brooke, I need to know."

"It's not a big deal, really." Brooke shrugged off "I have tons of things more beautiful and luxurious than that."

"I didn't ask you if it was expensive, but if it was important for you."

"Fine, it was a birthday gift." she took a moment of pause before explaining "It was my seventh birthday, my parents took me to a restaurant to celebrate it, and gave me that silver locket, while I was hoping to have a set of makeup that I saw on the mall…" she laughed "I remember I was so angry that I never touched it for almost a year."

"I don't understand...why did you seem so distressed when you saw it, if you didn't care for it?"

Brooke looked up, and Michael realized she was fighting to keep back the tears "Because it was the last birthday my parents attended."

Michael frowned, his face paling "Brooke, I…"

"You know what's the funny thing? I had completely forgotten about the locket before Sarah showed it; if not for that, I wouldn't…I wouldn't have…"

"Come here." Michael hugged Brooke, who started sobbing on his shoulder; they stayed there, on the patio, in silence.

_Okay, time for another lovely chat with my lovely bitch of an ex _Michael thought, determined to solve the things all and for once.

None of them noticed that somebody was watching the scene, with eyes full of jealousy.

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"Can we make a break? I'm dead tired." asked Haley.

"Sure, what's the difference? They all suck, and greatly."

"Come on, Peyton, it's not that bad"

"Haley, you've been there the whole time, and you know it: we haven't seen a single decent artist, yet." Peyton slammed her forehead on the table "Hugh…we need to find somebody, or the night be a disaster, oh, and we should find a way to deal with that Sarah bitch."

"I have to admit, the situation is getting worse that I thought." Haley sighed "What should we do for…oh, I can't wait for the meteor shower!"

"What the hell are you talking ab…Michael! You're here!" both of the girls stood up, while Michael reached them.

"Is everything all right?" he asked smiling: it was too much easy to guess that they were talking about Sarah.

"Well, if we ignore the fact that we don't have nobody for the all age night, and that your psychotic ex is stalking us, yes, it's all right!"

"Peyton!"

"Don't worry Haley, it's ok: I agree with Peyton; but let's now focus on the auditions…really there's was nobody at least decent?"

"Actually…"Haley stopped when Peyton glared at her "None."

"Hey, Nathan sent me a mail" said Peyton, checking on her laptop "It's a song."

As soon as the first notes started playing, Haley gasped "N…no! Turn it off! It's a virus!" she tried to take the computer, but Peyton managed to pass it to Michael, while the song kept running.

_It's October again_

_Leaves are coming down_

_One more year's come and gone_

_And nothing's changed at all_

_Wasn't I supposed to be someone_

_Who can face the things that I've been running from..._

_Let me feel, I don't care if I breakdown_

_Let me fall, even if I hit the ground_

_And if I..._

_Cry a little_

_Die a little_

_At least I know I lived, just a little..._

"Haley!" shouted Peyton when the girl closed the laptop "It's amazing! We have just found out our main event!"

"Where were you hiding that voice, sis-in-law?" teased Michael, more than impressed.

"Ok, stop now, I'm not going to sing at the event, so there's no reason to talk about it."

"Come one, you are perfect! Besides, there's no one els… what are you doing here?" she asked rudely to a tall boy, with clear eyes and brown hair.

"I'm here for the auditions." He answered back, annoyed.

"Sorry, they're over, you are late."

"No, he're not." Michael corrected "Your name?"

"I'm Chris Keller." the boy answered, and started singing.

_Everywhere you go, perfection  
Follows you the wrong direction  
And you will never see if for  
You get all that you need and more  
You see it, you want it  
You find it, it's yours  
_

He was a fantastic singer; Haley was watching him smiling, while Michael gave Peyton a nod of approval, which made the blond girl frown, annoyed.

_But you can't say what you want or  
Take what you want or  
Choose the moods that you fake when you want  
You said your life needed something special  
Then where it's at  
And aren't you glad_

_The only one of 5; exception_  
_The child of your pride, deception_  
_And on your list of things to do_  
_Is make me fall in love with you_  
_You find one, you want one_  
_Cause I'm one, who plays_

_You can't say what you want or_  
_Take what you want or_  
_Choose the moods that you fake when you want_  
_You said your life needed something special_  
_Which you don't have_

_You can't say what you want or_  
_Take what you want or_  
_Rest and wake anyway that you want_  
_You said your life needed something special_  
_Well, here I am, and aren't you glad._

_Now you got it bad_  
_I know you do_

_You can't say what you want or_  
_Take what you want or_  
_Choose the moods that you fake when you want_  
_You said your life couldn't get much better_  
_Then where you're at_

_And you can't say what you want or_  
_Take what you want or_  
_Rest and wake anyway that you want_  
_You said your life needed something special_  
_Which you don't have_  
_Well, aren't you glad_  
_Well, aren't you glad_  
_Well, aren't you glad_

"So, what do you say?" asked Chris, but the tone of his voice made Michael think that he didn't care much of their opinion.

"We'll let you know." answered Peyton, glaring at him; Chris smirked,a andhe headed out, but, as he reached the door, he turned, and glanced Haley "You're not half bad, but you need to work on your music…if you want to improve, the Chris Kellere can help you."

When he got out, Haley turned to Peyton "Are you crazy?! Why did you tell him that? He was great!"

"Because he's a jerk, Haley, and besides, I don't need him: I have you!" Peyton smiled confidently, which made Haley stay silent.

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"_I said, you won't see Sarah anymore."_

"_You can't do that!" Michael shouted, furious, glaring at his mother; that was ridiculous!_

"_I can, and I will." shot back Martha._

"_Whatever" he scoffed "You can't stop me to see her at school, she's the cheerleader coach, remember?"_

"_Well, that can be arranged." Michael shot a glance at Martha, who took a deep breath "I recently had a…offer for a good, well paid job, at Charlestone. We're moving."_

"_Are you kidding? You always hated going back there during the holidays, and now what, you want to live there? All of it because you don't like my girlfriend?"_

"_That's not...the only reason" Martha looked anxious "Listen, there's something I need to tell y…"_

"_I don't care!" Michael interrupted her "I don't give a damn, of your reason, if you want to go, go, I'm staying here."_

"_What did you just say?"_

_With a trembling voice, Michael spoke "I said…I'm staying here, with Sarah. I'm not leaving her, and if you don't support us, well, it means I no longer have a mother anymore."_

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"Damn it all!" Michael kicked a garbage can with all his strength, alone in a deserted alley; there was no way out : all the memories he had tried to forget, were coming up, taunting him mercilessly. _Why didn't I let her finish talking?_ That question had tormented him in the past 6 months, echoing endlessly in his mind.

He was giving his back on the alley entrance when he heard a voice "There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere."

Michael cursed _Not now _ "It's not the time to piss me off." He warned.

"Like I care, we need to talk, _now_." Felix's voice was angry, threatening "What were you doing with Brooke?"

Michael laughed "Man, I'm not really on the mood for this bullshit." He tried to walk away, but Felix stopped him, grabbing his shoulder "We're not finished!"

_Bad choice, punk._

Before Felix could even realize what happened, Michael punched him on the stomach, making the hispanic boy groan in pain and drop on his knees; a moment later, Michael slammed him against the wall, pressing his arm against Felix's chest.

"I'll say it once, and you better understand: if you wish to brawl with me, I'll take you on whenever and wherever you want, but don't you ever dare meddle in my past again, is that clear?"

"Fuck you!" Felix shot back, wincing in pain when Michael hit him again, with his knee this time.

"Wrong answer, Tagarro." Michael let go of Felix, who fell on the ground "And, just so you know, between me and Brooke there's nothing more than friendship, though you can't even claim that."

As he left Felix licking his wounds, Michael received a text message.

_It's Sarah; we will meet tonight, around 10 pm, at the beach._

_Perfect _Michael's face was dead serious _Time to end this._

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_Martha hadn't yet moved after their discussion ended, and she stood there as her son reached the kitchen carrying a suitcase and a bag, heading to the front door without saying a single word._

_When he was going to open it, time seemed to stop, and the two, mother and son, stared at each other, their matching green eyes entwined; Martha seemed on the point of talking, but, a moment later, she closed her lips, and Michael, shaking his head, opened the door, leaving the house.  
_

_On the kitchen table, Martha's phone was ringing, the screen showing the id of Dr. Greeves, but the woman ignored it, staring at the door slowly closing, as tears dropped from her eyes._


End file.
